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In the fall of 2023, I took a return pilgrimage to Plum Village, Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastery in southern France. It had been almost two years since this respected Buddhist teacher had passed away at his root temple in Hue, Vietnam, yet his presence was still felt in the paths that he walked, the sangha and community of practice, and the sound of the bell, inviting us to stop, and breathe, and feel the moment. Slowly and reverently, I sat down in front of the lotus pond my teacher had loved so much. Well past their prime, the lotus leaves still stood proud on long slender stems, though the lotus flower’s brilliant burst of pink glory was a distant memory. The brown seedpods drying in the autumn sun reminded me of the wisdom in the Zen expression, “no birth, no death.” 

Somehow it seems fitting to begin my story by writing a love letter to you, from my heart to yours, yet held in the great heart that holds us all.

"Happy New Year" we say, with a slight tremor in our voice that reveals both the fragile hope in our hearts, and the uncertainty and worry about what may still lie ahead, as we continue to navigate our way through these unprecedented times.

“The bells of mindfulness are calling out to us, trying to wake us up, reminding us to look deeply at our impact on the planet.” Thich Nhat Hanh