The Enlightened One. “But, you’re gonna die soon, Daddy,” said my 4-yo, through the beginning of tears. “I don’t want you to die,” he continued. I rubbed his soft tummy, as we lay in the shadow of his bottom bunk a few weeks back. “Why do you say that?” I asked, my curiosity deepening. “Because you’re big.” Big means old in Bodhi-speak. “I’m going to live a long time, so don’t you worry,” I said, feeling so much love for this sentient creature, as he wrapped his fingers

Goodbye Old Friend, 20″X23″ Acrylic, paper, antique book pages and cardboard on panel with original poetry, 2005, Stuart Sheldon “Speak to me in your dreams. I am listening.” Henry Miller A friend of mine was a teenager when he lost his dad. In his early thirties, my friend told me, “I dreamed of my dad last night. It doesn’t happen often, but I always love when he visits me in my dreams. I get to see him and talk to him and catch up.” I’d never thought about a dream as such

As a palliative care nurse, Bronnie Ware, spent time at the bedsides of patients who went home to die. In the last days of their existence, many shared with her their regrets and things they would do differently. The top 5 are excerpted here: The Most Common Regrets 1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. This was the most common regret of all. Most people did not honor even half their dreams and died knowing they made

I never went to war. Never killed a man. Never got shot at. Never watched a friend die mid-sentence. Why am I even going here? Because the comfort of our lives cannot be overstated. Many suffered and still suffer beyond measure for our well-being. So that you and I can remain blissfully ignorant of what it means to fight to the death for all that we enjoy and take for granted. Today is Thanksgiving. And so was yesterday. Today is Memorial Day … and so is tomorrow. We too ofte