I love this question! I want to say the smile of a friend, the light in their eyes, a moment of deep empathic connection, sharing wonder and beauty in nature, the subtle togetherness glow that arises when singing with friends, or in the presence of deep honesty. And yet I think all this in some way does pass – it fades from memory, and the moment itself is in some way gone forever just as it ends, like a ripple in a stream.

And I think at the same time there’s that which doesn’t pass, which is held in these experiences, and which holds them. And I don’t think that’s really able to be named, only pointed at, though I like words like beingness, source, God, essence, spirit, love, presence. Ultimately these words seem to create another duality though, as if presence were some Platonic ideal thing that existed apart from everyday things that come and go.

It seems to me any experience of the heart is in some way eternal, maybe like a ripple in a stream is made of water and never really separate. And it seems to me the riches we try to hold onto – a self-image, a role, money itself as an abstract measure of worth, power, achievements, anything that attempts to create an ultimate and final measure of our worth – is trying to grasp the flow of this stream, to fix it in one place, and so it passes with extra pain, for the people we love, for ourselves, and for the planet.

What a great question! I love that “the answer” itself keeps feeling inadequate, keeps changing as I look into it more, because the question points to a reality I can’t grasp with words…

Hi gratefulness community, it’s been awhile since I’ve been here! I’ve been absorbed in activism and various practices to help heal my body – since the inauguration it’s been harder for me to slow down enough and set aside time to write in this space. But I deeply appreciate the chance to be here and reflect on the gift of life, and to share in this journey with you all!

I hope my absence hasn’t caused anyone to worry for my well-being. Just the usual storms of life blowing me this way and that – hoping to maintain more of an even keel these days. 🙂

Last night I was reminded how grateful I am to be able to care for the clients I work with as a therapist, and then for friends at a potluck after work. It seemed apparent in a new way how tender everyone’s hearts are, how much we all want to remember that we belong with each other, in our own skins, and in life.

And I saw that I could open that door to belonging so simply – with a kind word, by sharing a laugh, with empathy, helping a client set up their phone, singing a song with friends, or by just really being present, in this relaxed knowingness that we all (as far as I can tell) suffer from the fear of not belonging, and love to receive signs that we do belong, as we are, in our messiness and differences and loneliness and confusion, right here in a little moment of genuine contact.

I’m grateful for how many times I’ve been reminded of the power of these moments by others on this site, and I hope to keep coming back to this awareness, to keep remembering!

Thank you for sharing the journey!

I think maybe babies delight in things adults have forgotten how to see freshly, that part of their joy is a wonder at seeing it all for the first time.

So it seems to me babies could be teachers of beginner’s mind, reminding us how much wonder there is to experience what seem to us like ordinary things – the snow, a bird, colors, the sound of a piano, the feeling of swinging, laughter, singing, a flower, or almost anything shiny, pleasing or interesting in one way or another…

I desire to live a deeply creative life dedicated to service, embedded in a truly inclusive and open-minded-and-hearted community, a place to truly love and be loved, to share from our hearts and basic material goods both.

And I desire that the world be full of this community for all of us, and that it be based in justice and fairness and a true valuing of each of our gifts.

And I desire that all beings are included in this community, that all are kept safe with clean water, clean air, a live-able climate, thriving ecosystems, healthy food chains, and a reverence for the inherent sacredness of life…

Thank you so much for this reflection Mary! I think that’s a beautiful way to say what I was grasping for – connecting in simple ways to be part of one another’s lives, remembering we already do belong. I appreciate you helping me hear my own intuitive searching a more deeply, and sharing your experience as well. I relate to the feeling of not belonging, the loneliness. I think it’s so healing for me to see that that feeling also belongs – it seems so deeply human and universal. Maybe there’s nowhere to go but belonging. 🙂 Thank you for connecting. Much love!