Dr Doolittle coined the phrase long before anyone else had a hold of it. I am talking about the dance in relationships of too near too far, too close too distant, or available versus unavailable. I suffer from all the above and have done so all of my life. When someone gets too close to me I find it pleasant, at times, and then suffocating, at other times. I am working on a peaceful coexistence with the world and my intimate friends but it will probably take me all of this lifetime and some of the next to work it out in a comfortable way. While I long for closeness the actuality of it makes me reach for my asthma inhaler. It is so interesting to me particularly during this time of struggle and fear in the world. I had a talk today with my friend, Jack Kornfield, who is a Buddhist monk and a great teacher. We went for a walk at Spirit Rock and came upon a place filled with small things people had left as gifts for the universe which made us both feel like children who had found magic.That’s what I love about Jack: he has an amazing ability to live from a child’s perspective and find wonder everywhere. We spoke of how much a place like Spirit Rock is needed in the world today as so many people have lost everything and have little idea of how to survive. One has no idea of what tomorrow may bring in terms of financial stability which places so much pressure on relationships and on human beings both young and old. The entire world is affected and everyone in every country is suffering from feelings of powerlessness and pain. The only thing we can really count on is our own self and our ability to stay in the present moment, aware and alert, and the ablilityto reach out to those near and far from us and offer them a hand. Sometimes I forget how important it is to feel the comfort of someone’s hand or to see a warm smile directed at me. When I remember to reach out I feel joy in doing so. Spirit Rock has some prayer wheels placed around the grounds which one reaches out and spins on passing. There are written prayers placed inside which then are sent out into the universe with each spin. I am going to look for a prayer wheel for my house. I think it will be fun to have one.