Beloveds,

I miss sharing this space with you more regularly and long for a season that I can offer more. The LYHL Community is so important to me, and the offerings to aid you in living your healthiest life come from a deep place within me.

I am very excited for next iterations; I can feel the changing of seasons.

—-

Life is a miraculous, enthralling, daunting, and an even devastating experience. This life experience is really comprised of billions of experiences over our lifetime. Even as I write that, I push back: "Billions? come on, let's not use hyperbole!"

But, another part of me knows that billions is true and perhaps even shortcutting the experience.

—-

Presence and noticing are practices we can do any day and all day. We can increase our attention and awareness of that birdsong, that rumbling motorcycle engine, that morning breeze touching your exposed belly, the cardamom you whimsically decided to add to your oatmeal, the warmth of the mug in your hand and the sun hitting your foot.

—-

I was driving back from LA yesterday - several hours into the drive with several more to go - and PLOP something fell down from the visor. It landed on the steering wheel.

I was surprised, yet somehow not startled as I looked at the small green bug. For lack of entomology knowledge, I will confidently and unapologetically call it a baby grasshopper.

"How did that get in here?" I wondered.

I quickly decided that I was not going to have a bug freakout moment, and calmly established it was welcome there and we were roadtrip companions.

It rested on the top of the steering wheel, apparently also a little stunned by its sudden change of location.

Eventually it's long antennas began to move and explore the environment, and then legs followed, and it rotated this way and that way before picking a direction and hopping to the center console.

I wanted to return it to a more suitable home, but was traveling 70+ mph on the 5 with no exits in sight.

We came to terms with cohabitating and moved on. I said a little prayer that it might find its way to a new suitable home and mused that I should watch that animated film "A Bug's Life" again. (What a cool project that must have been to work on!)

Pausing to consider (while still driving) this glorious creature was really amazing!

In a previous phase of my life, there would have been much more kerfuffle about why and how this bug was in my vehicle followed by a swift ejection out the window.

But do no harm (or as little harm as you can) has been an increasing ground swell in my life.

I allowed this baby grasshopper to teach me wonder.

—-

Then today my wonder was completely renewed. After going to bed and completely forgetting about my little grasshopper friend, I was once again in the driver's seat, doing pre-work morning routine things, when it reappeared and we commenced our wonder exchange. This time I let it crawl on me and it quickly obliged, going as far as nearly getting to my face before it again leapt elsewhere in the cabin.

Again, to my curious noticing, I was calm as a cucumber, apart from the delight I allowed to well up in me. I knew it was teaching me something, and I relished how different its life was from my own. I was so happy it said: “good morning!”

—-

I hope my little friend re-emerges when I'm not in the middle of a vast asphalt parking lot, so I can send it on its way to greener pastures.

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So yeah, billions of experiences in our lifetime! AND we can shape what the experience means and teaches us. (Maybe sometime I'll tell you about the mystical pelican experience that I had over the weekend).

Beloveds, I miss you.

Thanks for joining me today.

May you always see the blessing.

-esb

Beloveds, may you always see the blessing. 

-esb

P.S. - Thanks for being here. I’d love to hear how you’re doing!

P.P.S. - The art and information in these emails is my copyright, unless otherwise indicated/credited.

P.P.P.S. - In case you didn’t make it there yet, the most recent LYHL Podcast episode explores the potency of letter writing and the unique benefits of writing letters to your future self!