This past week, Michael and I traveled to Long Beach to join my brother and sister-in-law to memorialize our friend, our family member, a person we loved.

Start by looking at what you are planning to eat. What do you notice visually?

Now, smell the food carefully. What do you notice?

If applicable, do you notice any sounds? If you’re eating something like a raisin, try holding it close to your ear as you squeeze it gently. Or if you’re unwrapping a chocolate, listen to the crinkles of the wrapper as you unfold it …

For the last three years, I’ve been preparing for a paper for an international conference involving my 5th grade students, a program called Anatomy Academy, and all of it during a time when we were all being taught over a platform called ZOOM during a worldwide pandemic.

Anatomy Academy is an outreach and research program to combat childhood obesity through education.

“The world lost a bight light, a beacon of love, with a heart that held so much love and compassion” writes Jean. “Brian loved BIG, laughed long, and knew how to make others feel heard and seen.”

We arrive at the bottom of the canyon in time for a Ranger talk. I am reminded of these talks as a child visiting various National Parks. I loved these stories and remember attending these intimate amphitheater events with my dad and siblings. (I feel fortunate to have visited so many in my childhood.)

And I think it’s just as if not more important to remember that despite preparations for an unknown future, we must all practice being in and practice finding joy in the present moment. It’s easy to forget that the path of life isn’t over the next horizon but the ground that my feet are stepping on at this exact moment.

I like to dance! But … It doesn't mean I’m great at it! It just means that I like to do it. It makes me happy.