Dom's Birthday

Happy Birthday Dom!

 

On the 25th, I was without computer on Salt Spring Island British Columbia volunteering at the Creating Compassionate Community NVC Training with Ingrid Bauer and Canadian kin from all over.  I did not get the dom b-day invitation until I returned from the water woods, only to celebrate that I had already been giving many gifts to community that day (and often after I complete volunteering, I dedicate the merit to all beings to enjoy, usually through song-filled smiling) so I am loving that I was honoring your wishing, unknowingly, which is often the case for a guy like me, bubbling with delight in living as a self-compassionate village idiot (a job I am happy to be fired from as more and more people own and belong to as they train themselves to be part of the cadre of village idiots on the planet (pardon my barefoot street giraffe tom-foolery). On your b-day, myself and the people under 4 ft tall in the Creating Compassionate Community Kid's program co-ignited a fire blessing ritual together, offering locally picked herbs to the fire before all 45 of us at the event used it to roast our scrumptious dinner on had carved sticks.  I delighted in contemplating "Integral Nonviolence" while we ate - recognizing that NVC and RC are only part of ways to live peace and justice on the planet, curiously dreaming into how to deepen integrity with ongoing longing in my heart to walk the nonviolence talk.  Late into the night, as the rains came and went in our ocean side camp ground, where the owl came and landed, listening to the songs of community were shared.  In the herbs that were offered, there was a wish for all beings to have peace, happiness, harmony, compassion, and liberation... and you are one of the beings in all beings. Doug Dolstadt once reminded me that at any moment, someone around the planet might be making a prayer for all beings, and that any being could choose to receive the blessing, abundantly.  Its an honor to be on the b-day invite list, to show up late, to have missed the party, in fact, and delight in still being able to read the gifts given from the many people whom you love and love you and celebrate that your invitation weaves community, something I experience you living each time I receive in the blessing of connecting with you. So that's the tender caring side of my words and the more clownton side wants to say something to tickle your smile... so here's me go... I gave away all my FC jerseys long ago and wondering if you will give out FP jerseys at the Atlanta training... as party favors? Let me know if you do or don't laugh. If you have not yet, here is your chance (again and again and again). May your year be full of laughs... I just learned tonight that they are the most effective facilitators of coherence. Smiling and wishing you a retroactive happy birthday on the 29th, a presently happy birthweek, and an anticipatory happy birthyear, clayton, fountain of clownton.