Thank You

Nick Beymer free climbs and reaches the top.  Friends ready to spot him.  Riggins, Idaho

In this photo, Nick climbed to the top of the boulder on his own talent, tenacity, skills and strength. His friends were at the ready, arms extended in case he needed help, in case  he fell - a safety net of encouragement, guidance and advice.  None of us have arrived at this point without this network of friends.  The picture above helps me reflect as my six months of time-off from work has been a time of reflection and learning full of gratitude and thanks.  

In Patti Digh’s book, Life is a Verb, the last, last exercise is to list 20 people “who have helped you in your life and write one or two sentences that capture the gift they have given you”.  This took hardly any time to list and easily going over 20 people, the list is just a start.  It’s not about the assignment, and yes, it is all about the assignment.  The list continues.  

A List of Thank You’s

·      Maurice H – thank you for being the first one who taught me not with words or definitions about the true meaning of altruism - you lived in service to our world by saving each wild cat species that you studied and researched, one by one.  Thank you for showing me there are no boundaries, no holding back when you are pursuing your dreams.

·      Roger W – thank you for supporting me through my graduate degree when no one thought I would finish.  It meant the world to me that you said, let’s get you done.

·      Tom J – thank you for setting the grading criteria so high and for grading with such detail and rigor.  Thank you for the lessons learned in your classes that continue to guide me with professionalism and grace.

·      Dick M – thank you for sharing your vulnerability with me and trusting me to share with you.  Thank you for your trust and respect which expanded my horizons beyond my own boundaries.

·      Joan K – thank you for always speaking your truth and for listening to me.   Thank you for showing no fear even when you were not sure, and following your conviction which was always true north.

·      Carolyn B – thank you for your love of life and your never-say-die spirit amidst all challenges.  Thank you for being an angel of mercy and showing me how to live with fierce love, over-the-mountaintop joy and down-to-earth realism.

·      Dr. Mikey – thank you for loving me even when you did not have time and for teaching me how to dance to the music of life.  Thank you for caring for all our forgotten children and living out your commitment to making sure they were safe and secure.

·      JP – thank you for living out loud, for laughing full-heartedly, and for caring for us. Thank you for being so smart and using your smarts to save our environment.

·      Chris W – thank you for believing and showing us what true spirituality can be. Thank you for showing me how to walk with faith.

·      Kim Jurmu – thank you for loving me beyond what I knew and for making our friendship so front and center.  Thank you for helping me to see what’s possible and never giving up.

·      Gordon W– thank you for seeing beyond this life and believing that I could do and should do everything in my power to be the best that I can be.

·      B-rob – thank you for having a grand vision and making our university the best that we can be.  Thank you for believing in me, no if's, and's or but's, just believing and you empowered me to believe in me too.

·      Kathy S – thank you for your undivided attention in listening to me, always, no matter what.  Thank you for having my back which gave me the courage to do.

·      Fatima O – thank you for always anticipating my needs and the grace by which you prepared me for what I did not even anticipate.

·      Carrie S – thank you for always being ready for my next thought, and jumping 10 steps ahead in readiness.  Thank you for always giving without even thinking of what might be there in return.

·      Marianne H – thank you for giving me your time when I knew you didn’t have the time.  Thank you for your joyousness and humor when life each day sometimes is not that fun.

·      Terry M – thank you for your deep faith in humanity, your belief in doing powerful works, and your ability to bring peace into all settings and all places.

·      Doug S– thank you for your passion and persistence in making all our lives better.  Thank you for speaking truth to power when no one cared to speak up.

·      Lulu G – thank you for maintaining who you are when so many do not care, and for singing your love of life.  Thank you for persisting and showing us how to live with grace, truth and culture.

·      Nick B – thank you for believing that there is a better life than what others may say. Thank you for putting your life out there and never pulling back.

·      Walt L– thank you for always setting the bar high, pushing all of us to go for more, instilling quality and creativity.  Thank you for your heart and passion for all things that matter.

·      Cheryl – thank you for putting up with Walt and all his and our craziness. Thank you for striving for a more wondrous life and always giving care to your lovely family.

·      Raymond R– thank you for living fully as a multi-dimensional being to your highest and best.  Thank you for inspiring me and our world to reach into the universe for all that is good and right.  

·      Patti D – thank you for sitting the hell down and writing your truth, your passion, and your loves.  Thank you for sharing yourself and your family so that I can be brave enough to write my life and my stories.  I couldn't have done this without you.  Seriously, I couldn't.

·      WB – thank you for all these years of patience, growth, and jokes.  Thank you for always pumping up my bike tires, for never seeing our lives apart, and for the sense of safety and security without which I could not reach for the stars. 

·      Jack C. – thank you for your brilliance and showing us how to truly see what is in place.  Thank you for your kindness, gentleness and your joyous full-world perspective that has taught me to see more - over, under, and around, and to pay closer attention without judgment.

·     Peggy P – thank you for living with a vision for how we can be with each other without diminishing any part of us.  Thank you for guiding me in all ways global with elegance and love. 

·     Cathy R – mil gracias por llevarme a España y la apertura de un nuevo mundo! Thank you for taking me to Spain and opening a whole new world!  Thank you for always finding the best and the most fun in all situations whether we were lost or really lost! and moving forward come what may!

·     Mike H - thank you for always treating me as though we are your family because for you, we are.  Thank you because I know if I ever needed the shirt off your back, you would never hesitate to give it to me, and that has made all the difference in the world.
·     Elizabeth, Erica, Tiffany, Nancy, Kristina, Tami, Allison - all my yoga teachers over these years - thank you for helping me to be more bendy, to be brave and courageous, and to learn how my whole person can be aligned in the power and energies of our world.  I am learning the lesson that how I live on my mat, is how I live each day.

So many more to thank and to add to this list, and perhaps without your knowing, your handprint upon my life, upon my heart continues to be deep and wide and for that I am grateful.   And the list goes on.