Happy New Year to All

I cannot avoid sharing the joy I've experienced the past few days spending time with my daughter; that I have been able to spend nearly two full weeks with her 24/7, essentially taking off from all my 'work' makes me realize how lucky I am. We have been biking, walking, talking, cooking, playing in snow....we have always been so close - and yet we are getting closer.

Lucky indeed I am. But proud as well - and I will brag about it without reservation. I have made that choice in lifestyle - not without certain sacrifice - and I have never been more convinced of the correctness of this choice than these past few days. Like Lou Gehrig's famous speech back in my hometown - I honestly feel like I have been "the luckiest man on the face of the Earth": to be able to enjoy not merely the company of my daughter but rather to live with, engage with, and grow with her.

Such is a necessity - no, a right - for all, especially as we also make time to engage in other social struggles. It is the ultimate replacement for that which most of us are trying to fix.

My wish to my friends for 2010: That you may EXERCISE your right for a fulfilled and enjoyable life, especially if you have children. It is a fight, indeed. But it is a delicious fight - if there ever was a 'just' war, it is this one.

Out of the box thinking, cold-call knocks on ambitiously placed doors, asking "why", and letting some music strengthen your health -- comes to mind. Your children, and others around you, will better learn wholesome and sustainable priorities in the outside world by such example; we know that they won't learn this from government leaders or in anachronistic school systems.

Any person, or any system, which discourages a lifestyle that otherwise enables personal happiness, spiritual fulfillment - or allowing a parent to spend REAL time with a child, deserves as little attention from you as possible.

To anyone stumbling on my blog..thanks for reading. You are always welcome here.

I'll be writing shortly from my travels in the Caribbean/Mexico.

Have Fun in 2010...and yes,

a luta continua.

xxxx Don