The end of the beginning

Sometimes blogging is profound, sometimes it’s a version of self expression, sometimes it marks the passage of time or the advent of a new idea or thought – for different people it may represent different things. Personally, from the writer deep inside, it’s something I can’t not do. Calling from somewhere raw and ancestral. Why explain what I can’t?

And so here I lay, past my bedtime, too tired to sleep. Thoughts ping ponging from one corner of my mind to the last outpost of sense.

I’ve had a crazy new year – and today is the last day of January 2009. For me, I chose to see the year begin this past Monday, with the Chinese Year of the Ox. I sat through Liu Ming’s funny tale of what this year will bring – conventionality.

And so far, so much has happened. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a lumpectomy. My aunt sued my 98 year old grandfather and tried to lock him up in a home with 24 hour guards so the family can’t see him. We found out 2 days before the “emergency” court date. I dropped everything and flew to LA to fight for his freedom. We won round one. My aunt is not giving up. She has a vendetta to fill. My gramps showed up himself in court and not only held his own, he held everyone else’s too. What an amazing man.

I have celebrated life, death and everything in between. The birthing of my own consciousness in the form of my strength and pride. The death of myself as a punching bag, always putting others first.

And last night a wonderful “date” of lovely tea sipping, tango lessons and flamenco dancing. The dancers twirling and whirling together, like the sun and the moon.

Poems and words were exchanged where inspiration meets on street corners.

In a month I fly to China where I will get the opportunity to spend 5 weeks touring clinics and hospitals to see how acupuncture is used in the country it sprouted from.

And all of this – the pain, the joy, the sorrow, the love – it all boils down to one thing – I am grateful for all that I have and will experience, give and share. My path is set in an ever-changing motion.