Family portrait

I had the privilege of spending my fiftieth birthday with my mother and my daughter, who both flew in last month to be with me commemorating half a century’s existence. 

A few days before my birthday, a dear friend asked me how I was feeling. I had to pause and then I told her that a year ago, there was a (brief) moment when I thought I would not be able to make it to this day. My physician had detected some alarming growths on my breasts which precipitated me on an emotional roller coaster, and caused me to re-think health and wellness - me, a healer by profession!

From that perspective, everyday I get to live is like a bonus, a miracle, a gift, to be enjoyed to its fullest and not wasted. So I learned to be even more supportive of my body and its functions, leaning into natural ways of nourishing and detoxing. 

Spending my fiftieth birthday surrounded by loved ones was both a miracle and a dream come true. I try to remind myself of this when things get tough and the weight of existing seems unbearable. What a gift to be alive and loved - what a gift to love.

As the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh said, even if your mother is not with you physically, you can simply look at your hands, and you are looking at hers. 

Friends, spend time with your loved ones and cherish every moment. We are but here on this Earth for a short visit.

Photo by Jon Unson