Art, Our mutual friend Peggy just sent me a link to your beautiful reflection about training wheels, surrender, realizing our connectedness, and being true to the love that we are. I am moved to tears. The grace, courage, beauty, and presence with which you are opening and allowing the love, patience, compassion, and gratitude that you are to be in relationship with what arises in each breath of your dance with IPF inspires me in my own awakening. The moment I met you in Utah I sensed the loving, connected presence that you speak of in your beautiful reflection. Your heartfelt words spoken from the truth of your beautiful being have found there way to my heart at a time when the non-existence of my ego is becoming conscious. In it’s absence, I am left grateful beyond words for you. The words you have shared here invite me to acknowledge, notice, trust, open to, and fully allow truth to it to have its way with me. Know that I am with you in this connectedness you speak of…the love that I am is one with the love that you are Art. Your presence and courageous example is making it safer for me to shed the training wheels of the polarized, separate aspects of my ego (overinflated self and worthless self) and surrender more fully into the truth of the beauty that is. Thank you from the depths of my being. I am with you always! Love, Jim