Public Gratitude Journal

I've always been fiercely independent, and depending on others has been my 'what's worst that could happen'. This morning I suddenly woke up feeling grateful that I depend on so many people every single day - for food, energy, clothes, houses, work, etc. It made me realise that the only way I could be truly independent if I was the only person on the planet. So this dependence means both human connection and human ability to be smart by doing what you can do best and relying on others to do the same.

The beautiful weather...that my family in Texas have weathered the weather well...that my 94 y.o. mother in Texas is just fine, thank you...

I feel humbled to have been able to spend 4 days in nature. No people, no noise, no alarm clock, no to-do-list, no devices, nowhere to be, no-one to be accountable to......only to be present and show up in the now. It reminded me how difficult it is to be present in the present but I feel grateful that I am aware that I have a lot of work ahead of me before I truly am able to be present in the now. The first step is the awareness.

I came across a dead Sea turtle on the beach. I felt sad for its demise. From the condition of its cadaver it had been dead for a while and I believe it had been washed up on the beach long after its misfortune. For me it was an incredible opportunity to experience a sea turtle close up and feel the power that this female sea turtle once had had. The shell, the fins, the head, the bones, the markings. Just to let my hand graze her shell once so powerful but now brittle and fragile was amazing. I checked on her 3 days in a row and every time she became even more powerful to me even though she had left this world long time ago. What a powerful and humble experience. This experience will always stay with me.