Summer Solstice

My son and I went camping over the weekend. We went to Gualala, probably one of the most beautiful spots in Northern California. On the summer solstice we went to a spot overlooking the estuary and the ocean and waited for the sun to go down to take some pictures. While we waited, we did our Yang style short form.

Moments like these are nothing short of amazing. My son has been training in Tae Kwon Do since he was 7 years old, and has had his black belt now for 2 years. I think that this is a great accomplishment for him, but part of the attraction for him is that he gets a chance to mimic some of his screen favorites (Jackie Chan, Jet Li). So it pleases me to no end that he started T'ai Chi training with me over a year ago and has stuck with this as well. T'ai Chi certainly doesn't offer the gang buster high kicks that his other art does, but he has an appreciation for the softer and yielding forms that he may not have gotten had he not started practicing.

So being able to do the Yang style set with him, overlooking such a beautiful coming together of the Gualala river and the pacific ocean, with the sun setting on the summer solstice was a really awesome and powerful experience for me. It was a great day to be alive!

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. It was a purposely ordinary day. We cleaned a little, did laundry, went to a movie, had lunch, talked, laughed, swam. So although it was an ordinary day, it was a perfect day.

On the way to dropping my son off back at his mom's, I took a moment to tell him this. Some people's life accomplishments are building a company, composing an anthem, writing a novel, discovering fire. My crowning achievement in this life time is Steven. He is special in so many ways, but most of all, he is nice, kind and has a good soul. I believe that he will grow up to be a great man. He will achieve greatness simply by the fact that he will touch the hearts of those around him.

Father's day is a time that we honor our dads, grandfathers, and us fathers are given acknowledgment of the time and effort it takes to be present, happy and joyful in our children's lives. But I see this also as a day to acknowledge our sons and daughters. It is a truly an honor to be the father of my son. I keep this with me close everyday. Everyday I give thanks for him and find that my love for him grows all the more.