Dancing with life

Can you dance with life? Accepting it, rather than aching for it to be different?

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I'm breaking anonymity this morning to express my gratitude for the twelve-step program, and to tell you about my brother, Joey. Joey was a lovable crazy guy who lived life on the edge. This gifted, funny, incredibly warm-hearted man, had the disease of alcoholism for 24 years.

One of my most cherished memories of Joey is when my sister and I were visiting him at a treatment center in West Palm Beach. The three of us sat together in this beautiful, serene chapel on the premises, talking about God. A true miracle. For the first time, we were all in recovery.

I had not idea that five months later, my brother would drown while scuba diving.

It was a huge loss, but I'm grateful for the precious months I spent getting to know my brother again, without the alcohol. What a gift for all of us.

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                            Joey and his wife, Brenda. This picture captures his charm.

                                               Joey in recovery, preaching to my daughter.

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Don’t tell me how wonderful things will be . . . some day.

Show me you can risk being completely at peace,

truly okay with the way things are right now in this moment,

and again in the next and the next and the next. . .

I have heard enough warrior stories of heroic daring.

Tell me how you crumble when you hit the wall,

the place you cannot go beyond by the strength of your own will...

Take me to the places on the earth that teach you how to dance,

the places where you can risk letting the world break your heart.

And I will take you to the places where the earth beneath my feet

and the stars overhead make my heart whole again and again.

     from the book "The Dance" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

"Because life is fragile, I'll remember to savor every moment"