Sunday

Universal, Unconditional Love

I stood by her hospital bed, tears streaming down my face. Huge sloppy sobs of "I love you, I love you, I love you." Through the shroud of sorrow, I caught glimpses of peace. Our angel daughter was being released from pain. No more seizures, no more pneumonia, no more pain. She was now going home. The arms of universal, unconditional love were now embracing my little girl.

So in the greatest sorrow of my life, I caught a glimpse of celestial light.

I have great faith in life beyond this life. This precious gift was now being given to me. I had the privilege of participating in this sacred moment.

Hope is the blessed child of faith.

Unconditional love is the parent of all.



Angel Wing Feathers

"After you had taken your leave, I found God's footprints on my floor." - Rabindranath Tagore

Angel girl, you came into this world reluctantly. It took you so long to be born. You had to be pulled out of the birth canal. You were perfect, little one.

You came in the early morning when the sun was bright and shining. Your life shone brightly like the sun. Your smile was like spring flowers breaking through the snow. Your sounds were music that made me smile. 

The depth of your dark brown eyes always showed me the path of deeper meaning.

It has been a privilege to share this life with you. The essence of our lives is part mystery and part invitation. The Divine is our DNA. You came from your home in God and you returned to your home with God.

After you had left our home, I found angel wing feathers on the floor.



Friendship

The great reward of friendship is not that we have improved as humans, although sometimes happiness, the ultimate joy of friendship, is to be a witness to the life of another human. The privilege of being fully seen and known by another and the equal privilege of fully seeing and knowing another human being.

To know the great joy of having walked the earth with someone not of your blood. To have someone believe in you and you believe in them. To have shared your deepest sorrow and your greatest joy.

To know that someone understands and to know that you have understood them in equal measure.

This is the warm embrace of friendship.



A Meditation on Gratitude

Sit quietly. Let the presence of unconditional love fill your heart and mind. Allow yourself to be filled with gratitude. Remember all the good, all the blessings that have been poured into your life. 

You are not alone. Nothing can separate you from God‘s love. Be grateful for God‘s love. Be grateful for your family, your friends, your life.

As you move through your day, look for the treasures of spirit that have been left for you to find. Retrieve these gifts and hold them close. At the end of your day’s journey, you will have a treasure chest of love.

Offer your thanks with a grateful heart. May love and peace guide you to sleep with grateful thoughts playing a lullaby in your mind.



Love is Transformational

“God does not love us if we change.
God loves us so we can change.”
- Richard Rohr

Love is the most powerful, transformational tool we have in our life toolkit. 

Love may come in the form of a deeply listening friend. It may come to you as firm boundaries offered by a trusted confidant. Love may come in the form of creative expression or a blast of energy to complete a project. Love can come as a firm no or a sweet yes. 

Every expression of love is transformational. 



Tenderness

In the community of loss, tenderness is the constant state of being. We who have experienced the loss of a loved one, live in vulnerability. So many reminders; the tilt of the head, the beginning of a smile, the softness of a touch, the depth of eye contact. These are secret memories that we tenderly walk with every day. These are treasured gifts we share with our loved one who is in a new life.

These gifts can never be taken away.

I honor everyone who is in the community of loss and love.


Tenderness by Cheri Blum


Faith

God is everywhere. God is past, present, and future. God is always flowing into our hearts. God is here now- are we here with God or are we disconnected?

I found God is with me in my joy and in my sorrow. God is my constant companion. I speak with God and our angel daughter Ashley, often throughout the day. I feel peace, I feel love, I feel a depth of caring. 

My faith has walked me through my darkest moments. When I could find no light, my faith provided a lamp to light my way back to love. 

When I could not see a path forward, faith took me by the hand and guided me to new dreams and visions. 

When I was blind and could not understand, faith turned on the light of perspective and compassion and I was welcomed home. 



There is great unity in life

I find something of myself and everyone I meet. Some of the qualities I find are warm and loving. Some of the qualities I would rather not recognize. I believe something passes between each of us and we share an invisible human bond. 

Namaste

I bow to the God in you that is the God in me. Let us begin a search for the God in everyone. 

As we acknowledge the unconditional love in ourselves, let us also acknowledge the unconditional love in everyone we meet. There is a great unity in life. 

Let us each clean our own front door with kindness, empathy, and compassion. 



Let us pray

Please help all of us put aside our prejudice and fear of different perspectives and beliefs. Help us all to see the inherent unity in all humanity. Allow us to join in constructive dialogue and listen, listen, and listen some more. Let us see a perspective as large as the beautiful blue marble we all live on. Help us all to work for the unified solution of peace and love. Help us see each other, hear each other, and know each other.

Let us help each other.

Love is the only sane and satisfactory response to the challenges of life.

Life is precious.

Choose gratitude.


I am all that you taught me to be

When I peek into your bedroom, I can feel your presence. Your unconditional love permeates every teddy bear and angel. I can almost see you under the pink quilt.

I love to talk with you just as I did before you transitioned into your new life. I still can hear you, even though you did not speak. Every moment in your presence is profound and meaningful. I am simultaneously filled with love and sorrow. Bittersweet.

I stand here open-hearted, transparent, vulnerable, fragile, and resilient. I am all that you taught me to be, and I share your life and love.


A year

Your wheelchair has been empty for a year. There is no music coming from your room. I can no longer get lost in your deep brown eyes. I am no longer tickled by your perfect little nose. 

The atmosphere of unconditional love which emanated from you is still a living presence. Wherever I step there is peace. 

You are in another world where there is no pain and there are no seizures. You are part of limitless joy. 

The feeling of you pervades every day, every thought, every action. 

I am blessed. 

Bittersweet. 

Blessed. 



Be whole

With all my love, I urge you to be whole. Be authentic, transparent, and real. Own your power and never force yourself on anyone or anything. We have this one life, invest completely in this life. Do not hold back, do not hesitate. You are beautiful just the way you are. 

Heal and be whole. Focus on your healing not being broken. Be brave, be courageous, let your soul speak. It knows only truth. 



"Love people out loud."

"Love people out loud. Even if you don't think it needs to be said. Tell them. Often."
- Nanea Hoffman

We are being looked after and loved unconditionally every moment of every day.

Let those you love know how much you love and appreciate them. Let them know that their love has been a ray of light in your life.



Beauty

"The great lesson is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's backyard." - Abraham Maslow

Life is so full of beauty and magic. The changing seasons, the stars at night, the warmth of the Sun, and the glow of the moon. Nature is a full blown mystical explosion of endless possibilities.

I am married to Sandra, the most curious person I have ever met. She wants to know everything. Why this works? What makes that happen? Who is that and what else did I see them in?

She sees beauty everywhere. Life is a gift and Sandra is the greatest miracle in my life.

I am constantly grateful.



Presence

We live in the lives of all those whose lives we have touched. I have often felt the presence of those I have loved and those who have loved me. I have also felt the presence of of the many who have shared classes and speeches with me. 

I feel my daughter’s presence with me everyday. I also feel the presence of authors, teachers, artists, and mentors I have never met. 

We experience a spiritual communion with friends and colleagues not in our immediate presence. When I see my old friends after long periods of time, it is as if no time has passed. We are always with each other in spirit. 

The spirit has no walls, no obstacles. There is no time, space, or physicality. 

So, my dear friends close your eyes, breathe deeply, and be together with the ones you love. 

Choose to be with your communion of saints. 



Vulnerability and Authenticity

Vulnerability and authenticity opens the door to our whole self. Our courage will invite us to be fully human. When we make the courageous choice to be fully human, we glimpse our spiritual potential. 

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Emerson

Our vulnerability, authenticity, and courage will assist us in our need to connect. To fully connect, we must be in the present moment. Detach from technology, give yourself a mini technology vacation. Feel the joy of living life untethered. Breathe fresh air, feel the sun on your shoulders, view the great and endless art of nature, person to person, with your fellow human beings. 

Let your life be your message. Be open, authentic, vulnerable, and courageous. 

Beginning the school year


Social Emotional Learning prioritizes the needs of the whole child, both curriculum and connection. The human being needs relationships to survive and thrive. How can the needs of safety, value, respect, and support be debated?

Our work in SEL values the neuroscience which teaches us that integrity, empathy, responsibility, and compassion are essential to be a healthy human being and community. 

The teacher student relationship has emphasized the dual task of teaching content and cultivating character since the beginning of human development. 

Social Emotional Learning embraces academic achievement as a component of social and emotional development. In integrating Social Emotional Learning with academic achievement we focus on building knowledgeable and responsible citizens. 

Families join with educators in knowing our children need to feel safe, values, and connected. Families want their children to be interested and engaged in their education. Social Emotional Learning is an integral part of building a classroom and school wide community. We establish norms of physical and emotional safety. We learn how to give and receive specific, descriptive, and observable feedback and we learn how to resolve conflict and forgive. 

It is essential that social emotional learning strive for trusting relationships between students, teachers, staff, administrators, and families. Social Emotional Learning is not only what we do, it is who we are. 




We are all in the hands of unconditional love

The past three years have tested our strength and our ability to bounce back. Our experiences of uncertainty, grief, and loss have taught us much.

Our lives have been shaken to the foundation. 

From these heartbreaking experiences comes, if we are fortunate, the experience of empathy and compassion. From our suffering, we feel a new wonder at the beauty of the world. 

We are all a part of this beautiful world and nothing is in our control. We can only respond with love and understanding. Knowing we are in the hands of unconditional love. 



Pure Love

Everything is different now that Ashley is gone. I look in her room every day, multiple times a day. I see the angels, I see the pinks and pastels, I see her pictures and find some comfort. I have lost unconditional love. 

I still talk to her as I visit all the places she loved. The gardens, the beach, the swamp, the museum. In each of these environments, there is something missing. Or is it? Just because I can’t see her doesn’t mean that she’s not here. I know she hears me. I often get subtle messages from her spirit.

She is part of the never ending universe. She is moonbeams, she is starlight, she is the gentle us, breeze, and she is even the downpour.

She is all life.

She is pure love.





Your gifts

71 years and the passing of unconditional love have taught me...the car doesn't matter, the degrees don't matter, the bank account doesn't matter, the applause doesn't matter.

What matters is faith, love, kindness, authenticity, vulnerability, empathy, compassion, and sharing your gifts.

Your gifts will not be found on your phone, your computer, your text messages, and never in your "likes." Your gifts are deep within you, in the very cells of your body, actually in your DNA.

You are a miracle. Cherish yourself and only surround yourself with people who really know who you are and cherish you as well.



Walking together

I walked with you today Ashley. As we walked, I felt the breeze that brought you smiles and sounds of joy. I talked with you softly like I always do. Loud and harsh just doesn’t work for angels. 

My heart flew open as I saw you in the cardinal, the deer, and the chipmunks. There is one pink flower that is thriving this summer. I speak to it and call it by your name.  

I feel the warmth of the sun on my back and I know it is you blessing me. I never want to stop walking with you. 

Each moment is sacred.

I pray for more.



Human beings

Human beings are by nature social, emotional, and spiritual beings. We are born with an awareness of meaning, value, and sacredness for life. We are born with compassion, empathy, cooperation, and a sense of fairness and justice.

These capacities must be supported or they will be lost.



We all belong

Every individual has unique gifts and talents and must be treated with dignity and respect for those gifts to shine. Our birthright is love and freedom. We are each worthy of caring and safety. 

Our communities must be places where all of us, in our uniquenesses, feel respected, cared for, understood, and loved. We must create places where we all feel a sense of belonging, meaning, and purpose. 

We must all open our hearts and minds and see the light that shines in every individual. 

Let us form meaningful relationships, learn from each others perspective and experience and serve our community as responsible individuals in a goal of never-ending growth. 





Speak our love

With Ashley, I always spoke directly from my heart. I always spoke to her in soft tones. Knowing her life would be short, I knew each sound was sacred. 

I knew each time I spoke, it could be the last time she heard me. Everything I ever said to her was filled with love. Every "good morning", every "good night", every prayer, every storybook, and every "I love you".

I thanked her every morning for being with us, for being alive, for bringing her angelic, unconditional love into our lives. I often thanked her for the miracle of her. Surviving so many surgeries, countless seizures, and sometimes endless pain. Her smile, though infrequent, has made an indelible joy in my life, in my soul, and in my heart.

Let us all have the courage to speak our love every day, every minute. Do not fall into the trap of believing there is a tomorrow.

Now is the time to say "I love you".



We need to love ourselves

We need to love ourselves. Not in an egotistic, narcissistic way, but in a whole, healthy, and complete, knowing that we are good, caring people.

We are all emanations of the Divine. In each of us is perfection and unconditional love. You are the love, kindness, generosity, beauty, and creativity of Divinity, God is good. Life is good. Each of you, as children of God, are good.

Embrace and accept all of who you are.

You are a unique expression of Divinity.



Finding comfort

My spirituality is an awareness of the sacred in all life. The sacredness of the blossoming spring, the sacredness of the dying colors of autumn, and the sacredness of the blanket of snow. The sacredness of the relationship with each other, and the relationship with the Divine in our fragile humanity.

To face the loss of life; yours, or a loved one, is to be fully engaged in the sacredness of life. Constant thoughts of our loved one's life after death, our future communion with them, and our own fragility, all have a sense of urgency.

My awareness of Divinity as unconditional love, infinite kindness, and creativity, brings me great comfort. I know I am loved, I know I am cared for, and I feel comforted.

My faith brings me comfort in all that I cannot see.

In quiet reflection, rest in the comfort of unconditional love. Allow the sacredness of life to run like a movie through your mind. In your journal, record your reflections, and feel comforted.



Embrace life

Embrace life, all of it. 
We are the sum of all our experiences. 
The joyful and the painful. 

To diminish or negate any of our life experiences, even the most painful, is to deny those experiences and all that we have felt and learned.

For me, those feelings and lessons are sacred. They are my life's blood. They have helped me be a better person.

Let us honor all our experiences.



Monday

Faith is planting seeds

Faith is planting seeds. I grew up on my grandfather's farm, and so many family members participating in seed planting. There was corn, tomatoes, asparagus, beans, and many other vegetables. I learned that planting seeds is an act of faith. You plant a seed never knowing if it will produce fruit.

If you are reading this, then I believe like me, you are a farmer of compassion and love. We plant seeds of compassion, kindness, empathy, understanding, respect, responsibility, trust, truth, and love.

Plant the seed of faith today. Speak truth, speak love.

"The seed of God is in us: Pear seeds grow into pear trees; Hazel seeds grow into hazel trees; and God seeds into God."
- Meister Eckhart



Sunday

God is life

"God comes to us disguised as our life."
- Paula D'Arcy

God is in every aspect of our lives. God is in our waking and our sleeping. He is in our vision and our hearing. She is in our peace and our grieving. They are in the smell of the lilacs, the deer nibbling the new green growth, and the pink rain of the cherry blossoms being carried on the wind.

God is everywhere. God is everything. This unconditional loving presence permeates all life.

God is in the old man leaning on his walking stick. God is in the young woman shepherding her three little children. God is in the little girl patiently waiting for recognition of her lemonade stand. God is in the courage of the young person holding their LGBTQ+ rights poster. God is in every color skin, every ethnicity, every religion, and every language.

God is life, God is growth, God is love.



The blessing that is Ashley

Ashley and her love are everywhere. It is in the sun that warms me and the rain that brings me solitude. Her love is in the gentle deer and scampering squirrel. Her love speaks to me when I am alone in our home and startles me when the whole family is home as if to say "Don't leave me out of the conversation." 

She is in my dreams and in my prayers and meditation. She is on my mind, in my heart, and in my soul. In a unique and profound way, I am almost happy. 

She walks with me, and she talks with me. Our relationship, our love continues. I hear her say "How silly Daddy, don't you know unconditional love can never die." Ashley was and is unconditional love.

I am so grateful for the blessing that is Ashley.



Let us embrace the exquisite vulnerability of life

I have been broken open. I have embraced my vulnerability. The morning light that bleaches the dogwood tree, the bluebird that flits across my vision, the chipmunk who scampered up the tree, the rain that drops liquid pebbles in our pond.

I am human, frail, faltering, resilient, and compassionate. I listen for the divine harmony in all of life.

Every moment is a sacred opportunity. Every breath is amazing. 

Let us embrace the exquisite vulnerability of life.



I will continue to include her in our lives.

Even though our beloved angel passed from this earth in October, we still include her in our daily rituals. Before dinner in our home, we traditionally hold hands and offer a prayer of thanksgiving. Now, before we pray, I thank Ashley for being with us. I might thank her for the sun after the rain or the bluebird who rests in front of our house or I might just update her on my day. Every night, Sandra and I go to her bedroom to pray with her and ask Ash to pray for us.

I will continue to include her in our lives.

I imagine friends and families are reluctant to speak about her for fear of upsetting Sandra and me. Please speak her name; remember her unconditionally loving presence. "Speak into being" her life, her love, and the miracle that was Ashley.



You are a miracle

The fact that you are alive and reading this, is a miracle. Miracles are not only about people who walk on water or fly through the air. Miracles are people like you who wake up, even though you know, the day will be challenging, and you still choose to get out of bed.

We have survived so much; a pandemic, life-threatening surgeries, the loss of loved ones, and the fear of our own breaking.

Your life has a special purpose. You are here on purpose. You are a breathing, walking, talking miracle. Whomever you are; old, young, strong, weak, rich, poor, you are alive. You are a miracle.

Share your miraculous self with others today. Share your love.



Listen deeply...

"When you listen deeply, you help people suffer less." - Thích Nhất Hạnh

We all appreciate and need a true listener. Someone who will offer a nonjudgmental listening ear. When we open our hearts, we do not ask to be fixed. We ask for kindness, understanding, and compassion.

"Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our darkness well, can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity." - Pema Chödrön

Compassion allows us to feel our connectedness, it allows us to feel our unity. We are one.

Let us listen with a soft heart and an open mind. Let us be a safe place for anyone to share their vulnerability.




Monday

Familial embrace...

There is an abundance of love and compassion throughout humanity. It is sometimes overshadowed by acts of hatred and fear. Please help others understand that we do not need to fear our vulnerability. Our vulnerability is our strength. Our ability to grieve together, to hold each other, to laugh together, and love together, brings us firmly into the circle of humanity.

Let us extend our arms, hearts, and minds in a warm, familial embrace. 



Failing and Falling...

 "Do not judge me by my success.
Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up."
- Nelson Mandela

I have learned so much from my failures. I have learned more from my failures than my successes. I have learned to be resilient, kind, caring, empathetic, and compassionate. I have learned to never take anything for granted.

Like a toddler, first learning to walk. In every new endeavor, I take a few steps and fall. I get up, reassess, try again, take a few steps, and fall. Again and again, and again. And finally, I am walking.

Failing and falling is an essential part of learning. Failing does not make you a failure. Failing and falling invites you to be fully human. Every human has failed. Every artist, musician, scientist, inventor, athlete, and writer has failed. Then they continue, they experiment, they improvise, they work on their skills, and they find success.

Vulnerability. Failing and falling teaches us to be human. Every day let us embrace our vulnerability. Let us practice falling, getting up, and being good human beings.




I have been feeling...

I have been feeling "How is it that I am here, and Ashley is not?" I see her everywhere. In my office, in the spot where her wheelchair sat, in her bedroom where we prayed together and still do. She is here and yet not. Her soft, deep, brown eyes. Her baby-smelling hair. Her little tiny fingers. Her perfect little nose.

The sun still comes up in the morning. The moon still moves through its cycles. We still get mail. Traffic is still busy. Everyone is rushing somewhere and I wonder where do I want to go? I am disoriented. I am confused. She is here, but not here. I want to scream at disinterested people passing by. "Don't you know my precious angel is gone?" "Do you know how it feels to have unconditional love taken from you?"

So I stumble in my new life, knowing she is in her new life, blessing and loving me as she always has, and always will.

I know unconditional love can never be taken from you. It just moves through you in a different form.



Sunday

Letting Go

At this time in my life, I am learning to let go, again. In the past few years, I have let go of some dreams, I have faced open-heart surgery, and I have been at my precious daughter's bedside as she passed from this life. All terrible letting go experiences.

Each time I needed to let go, I needed to believe in something holding me, comforting me, loving me. I have come to believe that prescence, that unconditional love, is God. As my fear dissipates, as my grief becomes less immobilizing, I gradually open up. 

All that I love, all that I am is in God's hands.

I have come to experience that even in moments of sheer terror and unceasing grief, there is a light. Similar to the eye of a hurricane. In its center, pure calm. When I was wheeled into heart surgery, at the core of my fear was the knowing that I was in God's hands, and whatever the outcome, all would be well. When I kissed my little girl's forehead for the last time and told her I loved her and thanked her for being with us for 39 years, even then, even now, as I weep writing these words, I know she was in God's loving embrace and somehow, even though I don't know how all would be well.

Each time I let go, I learn and re-learn God's unconditional love is always with me.



Hope

Hope is such a powerful and beautiful concept. Where there is hope, there is light. Hope is the flickering candle in the darkest night. Hope is spirit shining deeply within us.

Hope is our loved ones whispering "all is good." I am happy, I am full of peace.

Hope reminds us that death is not the end of life. Death is a passageway to new life.

Hope is the essence of life itself bubbling up, effervescent, flowering in the spring snow.

I hear my daughter in the bird song of early spring. I see her in the fawn that steps to nibble the new growth on the side of the trail. I feel her in the breeze that she's so loved.

Her love and presence continues.




Monday

Road of Healing

"If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

This has been my journey these past few months. I pray to stay open and vulnerable to life's experiences. I hope that with time and love, I continue to move forward, not move on, but move forward. Move forward into greater strength, less fear, and greater health and wholeness. This being healthy is hard work, 24/7, diligent, disciplined, committed work.

As I travel this road of healing, I take my time, I pause, I notice, and I find gratitude.

I sense others who may need my help and I stay open to the help of others.



Sunday

The Healthy Community

The healthy community is measured by its passion for all its members.

The healthy community seeks to understand all its members. Community asks us to invest our time and energy in one another. Community nurtures, supports, cares for, and each other holds responsible.

I am my sibling. I am my parent. I am my caregiver. I am every member of my community.

Listen to understand

Listen to forgive

Listen to love


"The Inseparable Family" Artist: Paul Akiiki, Uganda


Love and Fear

We are living in a challenging time. The balance of love and fear is in constant motion. Hate has come out of the darkness and shouts loudly rather than admit it is afraid.

We individually must take responsibility for our past transgressions and ask for forgiveness. As we have the courage to heal individually, our healing energy will ripple out and impact a global healing.

We are born to be good. We are on a journey to discover our unconditional and loving nature. Through this journey of vulnerability, we bring unity to the world.

Everything we say, and do affects someone deeply. We are beginning to understand that as we offer love and healing to others, we find love and healing.



Bittersweet Gratitude

 "It is the nature of grace to fill spaces that have been empty." - Goethe

In experiencing the loss of my beloved daughter Ashley, I find so many open spaces in my life. Open and empty spaces where I would call to her, "Good morning sweetheart, how do you feel this morning?" Say goodnight with a prayer of gratitude and a kiss on her forehead. Those and many other moments are now open. Now, what do I do? Well, Ashley still speaks to me. "Tell my story Daddy, help others who have special needs children. Share my lessons of resilience and unconditional love."

This is my bittersweet gratitude. Even though she is not physically here she sends blessings. This inheritance of giving to someone else, what she has given to me. I hear her voice. I am surrounded by her pictures. I am lifted up in her unconditional love. I share her unconditional, universal love and she is forever alive.



Even in the coldest winter, I know summer is coming.

"In the midst of winter, I discovered that there was within me an invincible summer."

- Albert Camus

There are moments of joy, like being embraced by a favorite piece of music, or being lifted up in prayer, or a breathtaking sunrise, or the smell of an exquisite rose. There is the knowing that somehow, through the grace of God, I will experience happiness again.

Even in the pain of our wintery emotions, summer always comes. Daylight has its extended hours, the warmth of the sun on our shoulders opens us up, and even the rain smells good.

Life is calling us. Continue, move forward, there is still so much love for you to experience.

Even in the coldest winter, I know summer is coming.





Purpose

Whole, healthy human beings are committed to a sense of purpose outside themselves. They are devoted and passionate about something that calls to them. They are working on something they love, something that brings them great joy and satisfaction.

In the past few years, you may have felt disillusioned, brokenhearted, and angry. It is important to remember, you are not alone. We have all been challenged in some way. Two years ago as I entered open-heart surgery and I wondered if I would return to my loved ones. Three months ago, as I stood weeping uncontrollably by my daughter's bedside in ICU, watching her take her last breaths, I wondered what I would do without her.

When I have been challenged, fallen, and feel like I will never rise again, a glimmer of light guides me to ask "How can my experience help someone else? How can I take my grief and learning and make this world a bit better for others?" I have found that hopelessness lifts when I think of someone else. I renew my sense of purpose. I recommit to my mission.

I have always found that when I seek to help others, I help myself. The stress we are feeling and the grief that drops us to our knees can be a beacon of our strength and resilience.

Our desire to help, fueled by our sense of purpose, brings us to empathy. We feel with another, and we are not alone. That, in itself, is healing. Putting our empathy into action is compassion.

Our challenges are not unique to us. We are not the only one. We have not been singled out by the universe. We all have pain, stress, grief, and broken hearts. We are all part of a greater whole. One in a universe of fellow humans. Let that unity envelop and warm you.

Let us help each other to survive and thrive. Share your sense of purpose. Share your gifts in service to others and your healing will begin.



Seeds

We begin life as a single cell, a seed. Heart cells become hearts and brain cells become brains. Tomato seeds become tomatoes and apple seeds become apples.

We begin as a seed of loving consciousness. We have infinite variety in our size, color, interests, and talents. We all came from the same infinite loving consciousness.

Throughout our life, we can continue to be that loving consciousness. We can be kind, grateful, and understanding. We can be caring, empathetic, and compassionate. We can see the unity in our diversity.

When we accept that we all came from the same infinite loving consciousness, with our beautiful diversity of colors, shapes, and skills, we become one with the unconditional loving presence.

Let us be kind, caring, and loving humans.



Faith

Love is always my goal. I have come to learn that faith is one of the key components in reaching the goal of love.

In grieving the passing of our daughter Ashley, my wife Sandra and I often turn to each other and ask "What do people do without faith?"

Faith is how I keep my mind and heart open. For me, faith is not some dogma, prescription, or mutual agreement on right and wrong. Faith is whole and complete in and of itself. For me, faith is a bit of heaven right now. In my faith, I speak to Ashley. I listen to her continuing message of unconditional love. In my faith, I strive to be a person she would admire.

My faith helps me stay positive and productive. My faith keeps me from negativity and resentment. My faith keeps me writing, teaching, speaking, and serving. Faith helps me create what I want to see in the world.

Without faith, I would be in despair and depression. Faith enhances my perspective, seeing even the loss of my beloved daughter as part of the path to unconditional love.



We must share our stories...

 "Whoever survives a test, whatever it may be, must tell the story. That is his duty." - Elie Wiesel

It has been my privilege to tell our special needs daughter Ashley's story for 39 years and I will continue to share her story. Ashley's passing into another life is not the end of her story. I revisit her birth, the first diagnosis of seizure disorder, and the words "severely, profoundly retarded." That was the first loss. Then multiple surgeries and multiple life-and-death struggles.

When I tell her story, I affirm her life and the lives of all special needs children and families. I share the challenges and fears and I also share the blessings and grace that emanated from her angelic nature.

In telling her story, I also continue my healing process and hope the telling of her story provides healing to others. I want to help others see the light and unconditional love of Divinity that was our daughter's life.

I hope I can ease the pain for others. I have come to learn that my tears are love. Never apologize for your tears. Each drop of salty tears is your heart pulsing "I love you."

I tell my story so we all can find connection through courage, vulnerability, authenticity, and love.



When we love, we emanate Divinity

It is important to remember that there are far more people in the world working every day for love, peace, justice, equity, equality, and respect for diversity, than those opposing them. There are people everywhere, just like you, who are being kind, empathetic, compassionate, and forgiving. We are standing in a global community of generosity and love.

"I have one life and one chance to make it count for something...my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference." - Jimmy Carter

I continue to devote my life to teaching compassion, acceptance, and love. I strive to build tables of welcome and abundance and tear down walls.

"Love is the greatest force in the universe." - Martin Luther King Jr.

When we love, we emanate Divinity.



Love is Life

We feel the pulse of love as we connect with strangers through a smile and hello. We feel the depth of long-lived love as we depend on those intimate few who sustain our life. The human need to love and be loved is as essential as food, water, and shelter. We build a life of support, nourishment, empathy, compassion, and love.

Then, like shattered glass or a broken bone, one of our deepest, dearest ones passes from this life. The world stops, our hearts break, and our tears of love fall like rain. Our lives will never be the same.

And then we realize love is still there. Love is not a solid object. It has no beginning or end. Love is not limited. Love is a creative energy of the universe and will never be contained.

The love we received continues to flow in our direction. The love we extended continues as I say good morning to my daughter's picture. I rest in love as I pray with her every morning, and every night.

Even in sorrow, love continues to move and grow. In bittersweet compassion, we spiritually embrace, knowing we are forever bound together. Family, life, love.