When we begin any given day, we have no clue what will transpire by the time we lay our heads on our waiting pillows. We hope for joy. We hope for love. We hope for ease. We hope for pleasure. Sometimes those are the gifts we get to unwrap. Other times, they are cleverly disguised as challenge and pain. Unwelcome, but real.  We can fight the second kicking and screaming. I know I have. Not particularly graceful. It is then that I need to put on my reverse glasses that allow me to see what came before; kind of like looking in a cosmic rear view mirror. 

I consider all that has transpired in the 57 years I have been on the planet this time around and am amazed at the ways in which it has all played out. In my impatience, I find myself getting lost in wishing things would have been different so that I might be farther down the road.  To where?  In conversation with a friend recently, he and I were musing about where we expected to be at this point in our lives. He imagined that he would be in a relationship, having adopted children and living in a beautiful home with his partner. Instead, he lives in a communal house, is single at the moment and his ‘children’ are his beautiful works of art. At this point in my life, I thought that I too would be in a committed relationship and an on the road –best-selling author. Instead, I have many dear ones in my life with whom I have treasured friendships and have been traveling and creating all kinds of powerful connections while writing my next book. In the past year, I have gone to New Orleans, California, South Carolina, Jamaica, Nevada and Arizona. Not too shabby for someone who hadn’t ventured out for years.

I think about the people with whom I have crossed paths that may have been foretold years earlier. The weekend before I am writing this, I was at the Celebrate Your Life Conference in Phoenix where I had the opportunity to spend time with some of the teachers and authors I have interviewed over the years. They include Jean Houston, Gregg Braden, Arielle Ford, Marianne Williamson, Dan Millman, Darren Weissman and Michael and Rickie Beckwith. A loving tribute was offered for Wayne Dyer who passed in August. I was surrounded by kindred spirits from all over the world. One is a young man named Gordie Bufton. He is in recovery from various addictions, and is an in demand speaker and writer. We bonded instantaneously and I am booking him on my radio show. A few days later, when I was home, I received a message from a woman I had met five or so years ago at Circle of Miracles which is an interfaith community of which I am part. Her name is Lisa Moore. I was amazed, but not surprised, when she let me know that she is Gordie’s mom!  He had mentioned to her that we had met and she told him about our previous connection. I recall that she had shared his story with me all those years ago. I was delighted to witness first-hand how far he had come through the hellacious experiences he had endured.

This experience tells me that the long and winding road leads us to wondrous places even if we don’t know our ultimate destination.

 I wrote these words four years ago, following the death of my mother as well as some job changes. They are as true today as they were back then.

Since we don't always know what's down the road...let's enjoy the ride, breeze out the window, with good traveling companions, singing at the top of our lungs (seatbelts fastened, of course:), using the AGS (Angelic Guidance System) Who needs a map or a GPS when you have that close at hand/heart? Y'all wanna come along?