branches up, roots down

  My friend,    Donald Engstrom,    years ago coined a phrase worthy of generous usage. Every time I say this phrase or write it, his voice resonates in my consciousness.    Every equinox, I think of Donald, for my good friend is deeply committed  to the building and nurturance of the emerging "Cultures of  Beauty ,  Balance and Delight."    Beauty, balance and delight – for that is his phrase - are certainly the stuff of equinoxes.   The spring equinox is today, and as luck would have it, it is a beautiful day in San Francisco, The sun is shining, the breeze is sweet and fresh, and on the way to my office I was met with more smiles than eyes avoided. San Franciscans tend to take honest delight in a sunny day.   Today light and dark are in perfect balance. How rare a thing that is!   Every other day  of the year the light is trumping the dark or the dark is trumping the light. But today, they face each other equally….not to do this again until the fall equinox.   Tomorrow, li...

In the summer of 1986 , while attending Reclaiming’s first summer intensive,    I called home and received    news that I had passed my licensing exam.    From that moment on,    I have been a licensed marriage and family therapist in California.    For years before that moment, as a registered intern, and for every year since, I have annually sent checks of a couple hundred dollars off to CAMFT , the California association that represents those of us in my profession.   Several weeks ago I found out that CAMFT is NOT representing me, or any other GLBT therapist in the state.    The CAMFT board members have refused for months to take a stand for marriage equality.    All the other major associations representing mental health workers have public statements regarding the importance of marriage equality and see homophobia as an important issue that effects mental health.   Because, it does.     I am a marriage and family therapist who’s own marriage is in jeopardy of becoming legally inv...