Wow it seems like forever since I had been to the beach. I grew up on the West Coast. As you know Colorado is not a coastal state and I miss the healing calmness of living near the ocean. My wife and I got married at Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach so of course we went to this amazingly beautiful place where we made a commitment to each other. After a tour down memory lane we found ourselves both staring in silence for a long time just enjoying the play of the ocean against the rocks below us. The busy world falls away in these moments of being fully present. There is really nothing else beyond the present except the stories in our head. If the stories quiet down we can actually fully enjoy the now.

In the town we had the pleasure of visiting with my niece Erin who is the editor of the local paper. She gets to live at the beach and be young. I felt a moment of wishing I could be in her shoes. She is beautiful and thoughtful human being and we enjoyed the visit. She writes on the side for enjoyment and you can read her fresh perspective here.

It is now time for my morning run. I have eaten so much holiday sugar that I need to run to Boulder and back to Oregon today. I am sure I won’t realize that goal but I will enjoy moving and burning off some of the accumulated sweet stuff. Exercise is a wonderful antidote for overdoing it during this holiday season.

I am back from my run on a trail that went through a small old growth forest nearby and this too added to the feeling of healing that often come form running. As I have enjoyed hanging around my brothers and sisters, dad and other family I noticed how much I have missed them. I need to spend more time here where my family lives. I find this all very nurturing even though there are family dramas. Family is family and nothing else matters in quite the same way. Unconditional love is just a great place to hang out.

Have a good day and peace and joy to you.