I spent the day today basking in the sun, dashing in the rain, lounging in a hammock, enjoying healthy munchies, singing, dancing, drumming, hugging, smiling, laughing; all in the presence of kindred spirits. No wonder the event I attended was called Kindred Spirits Labor Day of Love. I was surrounded by sweet souls; hosted by the irreplaceable Delane Lipka who takes on the role of everyone’s Jewish Mother (in the best possible way:) She and her husband Harry who has since passed into spirit himself, founded Mt. Eden Retreat in Washington, NJ decades ago and it has been the site for many workshops and gatherings. I have been blessed to have both attended and facilitated events there over the years and as I pull up the wooded driveway, I feel like I am home. One of the things Delane is famous for, is her huggability. A mutual friend named Tom Osher has described her hugs as being like those of Amma (the Hugging Saint). Today when I embraced her, I could tell why he felt that way. I have hugged many in my lifetime and two other spiritual teachers’ hugs felt like Delane’s. The first was Ram Dass and the second was His Holiness the Dalai Lama. From all three of them, I walked away soaked in love.

I had the joy of facilitating my first workshop since the heart attack in June that had me taking much needed time off from nearly everything. It was a hugging workshop in which we continued the theme of being immersed in love soup.

Music was a highlight of the day as Faerie Elaine Silver, Deva Troy and Don Slepian delighted the crowd with their transcendent sounds. I have been blessed to have known them all for over 2o years.

Feeling pleasantly tired and overwhelming grateful for having spent the day ‘in the garden’