Welcome South Africa!
This has been a difficult last year and a half and I want to take time to extend my appreciation to a number of people for a number of things. This is very personal, about people most of you never heard of, yet it feels good for me to share.
In no particular order:
Uschi, my dear friend and confidant of over 20 years. Your ability to listen and to remain Present is an extraordinary gift. You help me steer my ship even when I feel rudderless. You sometimes hear me more clearly than I hear myself. So many times you have reflected back to me something essential that I have either forgotten or am not in touch with, restoring me to balance and sometimes, it feels, sanity. How fortunate I am to count you as a friend.
Irmgard, whenever I need support you offered it unfailingly and unstintingly. Your bottomless concern held me when I was almost without a single ounce of internal strength. Our expanded friendship is one of the great gifts of this time. Knowing you were there for me was a profound strand of the web that has held me.
To Marie, for years of friendship and speaking my language, for listening when I most needed it. To Elizabeth for laughter and the perfect card. To Karin for your wisdom and insight, your unfailing support. To my women's temple for their generosity of spirit and embodied wisdom. To Luis and my CMR family for teaching me how to dive into my body to recover my soul. To Mary for helping me remember Love and guiding me to my daughter. To Sigy, for helping me remember lost parts of myself, my joy and enthusiasm.
To Georg, my husband, for years of unfailing love and support. One story will suffice to give a taste of his generosity. We were scuba diving in the Andaman Sea on a week long diving trip. It was the final dive and we were told we would have to use hand holds to cross a very strong underwater current. We were all positioned to begin the crossing, hanging on tightly to the sea bottom as the current pummeled us when a woman in front of me kicked me in the face with her fin. I went tumbling into space and without a moments hesitation, Georg let go and blew away with me. We summersaulted in the current, as though we were in outer space. We were able to swim our way across to each other and finally clasp hands until we could angle our way out of the current. Using hand signals, we agreed to stay underwater and actually enjoy the beauty before surfacing to an uncertain fate. We did mange to look around at the underwater wonderland. With little air remaining, we surfaced and bobbed in our blow up life vests, nothing in sight except thunderous waves. We were drifting for about an hour before being discovered by the yacht's dingy. That my husband released his handhold without a seconds hesitation was and is to me one of the most touching moments of my life. I thank you for a lifetime of existence's most precious gift, love.
For my daughter Ciela, your birth reawakened me to the feeling tone of unconditional love. Your laughter and generosity of spirit continue to inspire me. Your compassion and wisdom often literally leave me speechless. Your continuous love is the river in which I float. And to top it off, you're one fun kid and delight me by joining me in my quest for adventure and desire to suck the marrow out of life. To you and the many others who have offered me their time, support, love, laughter, joy, wisdom, shoulders' to cry on, hugs and kisses, I extend my enduring and boundless gratitude.
This has been a difficult last year and a half and I want to take time to extend my appreciation to a number of people for a number of things. This is very personal, about people most of you never heard of, yet it feels good for me to share.
In no particular order:
Uschi, my dear friend and confidant of over 20 years. Your ability to listen and to remain Present is an extraordinary gift. You help me steer my ship even when I feel rudderless. You sometimes hear me more clearly than I hear myself. So many times you have reflected back to me something essential that I have either forgotten or am not in touch with, restoring me to balance and sometimes, it feels, sanity. How fortunate I am to count you as a friend.
Irmgard, whenever I need support you offered it unfailingly and unstintingly. Your bottomless concern held me when I was almost without a single ounce of internal strength. Our expanded friendship is one of the great gifts of this time. Knowing you were there for me was a profound strand of the web that has held me.
To Marie, for years of friendship and speaking my language, for listening when I most needed it. To Elizabeth for laughter and the perfect card. To Karin for your wisdom and insight, your unfailing support. To my women's temple for their generosity of spirit and embodied wisdom. To Luis and my CMR family for teaching me how to dive into my body to recover my soul. To Mary for helping me remember Love and guiding me to my daughter. To Sigy, for helping me remember lost parts of myself, my joy and enthusiasm.
To Georg, my husband, for years of unfailing love and support. One story will suffice to give a taste of his generosity. We were scuba diving in the Andaman Sea on a week long diving trip. It was the final dive and we were told we would have to use hand holds to cross a very strong underwater current. We were all positioned to begin the crossing, hanging on tightly to the sea bottom as the current pummeled us when a woman in front of me kicked me in the face with her fin. I went tumbling into space and without a moments hesitation, Georg let go and blew away with me. We summersaulted in the current, as though we were in outer space. We were able to swim our way across to each other and finally clasp hands until we could angle our way out of the current. Using hand signals, we agreed to stay underwater and actually enjoy the beauty before surfacing to an uncertain fate. We did mange to look around at the underwater wonderland. With little air remaining, we surfaced and bobbed in our blow up life vests, nothing in sight except thunderous waves. We were drifting for about an hour before being discovered by the yacht's dingy. That my husband released his handhold without a seconds hesitation was and is to me one of the most touching moments of my life. I thank you for a lifetime of existence's most precious gift, love.
For my daughter Ciela, your birth reawakened me to the feeling tone of unconditional love. Your laughter and generosity of spirit continue to inspire me. Your compassion and wisdom often literally leave me speechless. Your continuous love is the river in which I float. And to top it off, you're one fun kid and delight me by joining me in my quest for adventure and desire to suck the marrow out of life. To you and the many others who have offered me their time, support, love, laughter, joy, wisdom, shoulders' to cry on, hugs and kisses, I extend my enduring and boundless gratitude.
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