i'm back

Yes, I'm back in the blogosphere.

It was great to take time out, to slowly stop writing blogs in my head, to free psychic space for internal processing of the big changes at hand. For several weeks now I've stayed, for the most part, off the internet. I've attempted to stay simply dialed down to the home and work front. And, it's been good. I've needed to keep it simple, because right now, things are really complex.

I'm in the business of change, being a therapist and all. Personal transformations are challenging enough, but when we all together are riding a wave of economic, environmental and social change...well, that has me grounding and doing mindful breathing pretty much on an hourly basis.

Some of my friends and clients have lost considerable amounts of money. Some have been laid off and more are dreading upcoming "re-orgs" at their work. Which translates into more lay-offs.

Friends in Portland were snowbound at home for days in December. Here in San Francisco, we've had our windows open and are wearing flipflops in January. And... in the midst of the climate change and financial freefall, excitement is building for the inauguration on Tuesday.

I'm back. It's time to join in with everyone else and celebrate. Change is hard. Really hard. But, miraculously, this election my country didn't resist it, didn't vote to pretend it was not happening. We voted for the kind of change we want, we voted for hope and we voted for getting through the hard changes together.


Sometimes the most unsettling changes are those which are the changes for the better. I know that for sure from my long years as a therapist working with people who are struggling to let in love and trust their fledgling ability to be happy. I know this from the painful stretch of my own human heart to take in just how beautiful and precious life can be.

These next few days, I plan on relishing and savoring our ability to change. I know my heart will be having a healthy workout. Tomorrow we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King. Then, the inauguration.

And now.... I'm going to watch Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, and a whole bunch of others sing in front of the Lincoln Memorial on television, celebrating the unity of our nation. Even writing that has me shaking my head in wonder.

Martin had a dream. This week, we seem to be living it.