Ernie Thayer

A dear friend left this for me this past week…

I would love to live
Like a River flows,
Carried by the surprises
Of its own unfolding.

My friend Maria is constantly referring to what is moving through her as the flow of a river. I experience something similar. What’s notable is how we can’t see ahead of time where it’s going but don’t really care, and can delight in whatever we find along the way. Of course, there are those all-too-familiar times when that ain’t happening and it’s just a rougher course. Surprise!

Vacationing in Hawaii recently left me in a state of such ease. I had one especially lovely morning on the deck of our little bungalow in Haiku where the sheer beauty of the place, the raucous birdsong and the light, ah the light, lulled me into a kind of meditative state. Once there I felt completely present, totally alive, and immensely full. Then I noticed an itch on my scalp and the thought arose, “Oh, there’s Ernie!”

Acceptance is an interesting word. At first blush, it would seem to be something one would ‘do’, to accept something. But in terms of what we talk about here, I believe acceptance more describes the result of something, rather than something I would ‘do’. Still, it’s useful to consider. Like gratitude, acceptance flows from a deep movement in us that changes us profoundly. Continue Reading »

celebrating the 20th Anniversary of my marriage to the delightful, smart, feisty, wise and beautiful Holly (see photos!). Sun & sand, maybe a little surfing and windsurfing … back soon…

Amazing statement that! Why, I can think of lots of reasons! Money, health, relationship troubles, politics, war – just to name a few. Anyone with half a brain can find easy justification for worry about something!

It’s just that there really isn’t any good reason for it. Really. No joke. Ok, ok, I guess you could say I need to worry about getting hit by the oncoming car in my lane doing 80 and swerving madly….but even then, what’s needed is an efficient response to avoid the wreck if possible, not worry. No time for that… Continue Reading »