“As man draws nearer to the stars, why should he not also draw nearer to his neighbor?” ~ Lyndon B. Johnson

 It’s precisely the thought we should all be holding near to our hearts this evening—pushing aside judgement, and offering instead the best parts of our most human spirit. 

 I suspect there will be much information flooding our networks over these next hours and days; and it will be quite easy to fall backwards and into our emotions…causing us to lose our touch with the humanity of this place.

And though, it’s perfectly human to feel such huge emotions—we must remember to use those emotions to help carry forward a much more positive…and much needed change.  

We are all just visitors here—all members of the family, ‘human.’ 

And though, our spirits are all so brilliantly unique—in matters of the heart, you’ll find, we’re not so very much different.

What would you do if every day you were given $86, 400 to spend in any way that you might choose?

Would you invest in yourself? Or give it all away…? Or would you waste it on something you didn’t need?

And what would you do if at the end of the day, you had to give back that which you didn’t use?

I’ll bet you would spend every single solitary cent—making sure that you put it to good use?

Every day we’re given this most precious gift of 86,400 seconds—tiny fractions of a much larger moment…fragments, really, in a life that belongs just to you.

And yet, so many of us let these moments go to waste—as they slip silently away between the careless grips of our own fingertips.

But attach a price tag to the moments in your day—and not one would get away from us, ‘unspent.’

I *love* this video—”Harlem Elvis”…just listen to the one minute wisdom he has to share. Simply subtle and most spectacularly brilliant.

“I choose…to have…a good life.”

These are the words recited each day, and between the long time, East Los Angeles elementary school teacher, Ms. Reifler and her most beautiful 5th grade students. She incorporated this essential aspect of self worth into her teaching curriculum, when not one…but two, of her young students confided with her that they had tried to commit suicide.

“I just don’t know what do do with my life,” explained the younger of the two.

We send these, our youngest minds, off blindly each day—hopeful that our school systems might help to fill the void between dreams and reality.

And yet, each day…these most beautiful spirits are losing hope. Some, as young as they are, have already given up on life.

When they are our of sight, we forget…we forget, that these minds have incredibly important issues that they are dealing with every single day.

“How many of you have had breakfast this morning?” Ms. Reifler asks of her class—as most stand fearful in response.

And this is not just one sad statistic—the result of a city’s economy crashing inward and spiraling down. Neither is this one outlier data points—rather, this is sadly becoming our Nation’s new reality.

“In the next few years, we don’t know what the world will be like…and we want them to be strong. Unless we do something with education…with the total human being…we are not really preparing our children.”

So many of our children don’t feel safe in their homes or in their environment, and this weight they carry…is much greater than that which can be supported by any book bag.

It’s time to give our children the very basic tools of humanity—that of compassion, belief, and self respect.

And when we have done just that—then we may sit back and watch our children go on and outward into the great big world knowing that they have the tools within them to succeed.

Watch this most heartwarming and short video about one teacher who believed that she could—and convinced all the rest of her students, that they could…as well…and in doing so, gave them just a little shelter from their ‘storm.’

“I choose…to have…a good life.”

 Absolutely, and indeed.

Happiness can be found *everywhere*, in all things…and perhaps sometimes, when least expected…

And how sad it is, when we hang our heads down low….lost hopelessly in our thoughts, and forever staring downwards towards the ground?

If only we might just linger for this moment right here…perhaps, our so foolishly limited view might just then turn around?

Nature is always right there, and just waiting…to offer a smile back for you to see.

In the cross-section of a single blade of Sand Dune grass…

In a spider just waiting and guarding her eggs….

 

And right here, just above you…and hanging out in the trees. 

 

Or in a field of the sweetest of flowers..those smiles are always there, dear, tucked away and just waiting here for you…

Happiness surrounds us in this, the most magnificent of ways…when it is that we might take a moment to pause…and to breathe…

We might just see all these most beautiful smiles…that are right there and waiting patiently for us to see?

‘Nuff said…dogs, well…they’re just *awesome*… and, MY pup knows when my heart needs just a little extra healing.

 When I came home from surgery, he literally wouldn’t leave my side (not even for special treats).

Dogs love us unconditionally ~ without hesitation, or judgement…and, they don’t hold onto things or worry about whether or not we’ve said ‘just the right thing.’

No matter where we’ve been or how very long we’ve been gone…we can rest assured that they will be there, waiting for us to when we get home.

And, when we walk through that door ~ each time, it’s like the very first time we’ve ever met.

We should love the whole world just like that—like a puppy loves it’s human…what a most amazing world it might be then.

namaste.