The Del Mar racing season has ended. But I learned a valuable lesson by reading the race program. Each horse is not just listed alone. For each race, each horse is surrounded by the names of his owner, where he was bread, by whom, who is the trainer, and who is the jockey. The people who train him, care for him, breed and clean him: each horse is like a NASCAR driver with a support team. Take a moment. First think of your race horse name. (Adjective, Nown: Lucky Lampost). Now think about, and give thanks to, your support team. What does each person add to your life? Your dry cleaner keeps you looking groomed, as does your hair dressor and manicurist. Your doctor is like your pit crew when you come in for a tune up. Who cheers you on: Go ! Go! Take a moment and think about them. Thank them. Write about them. Where are they right now. What city. Are they alone? Eating dinner? At a play?
Next step: pick up a phone and say hello, and thank them for keeping your mane shiny.

To Honor My Father

I was squinting at the old marble walls, looking for my father's marker. I can't remember where he is buried, for I haven't visited the site since the funeral in 1971. He is in a drawer, a crypt, in a Jewish Mausoleum. It is quite odd to be reading a wall, rather than looking at headstones. Where is he? It is quiet in this building, with only the sound of the wind politely moving through the hall. So many stories, so many names. I suddenly strikes me that I must read everybody else's names in order to find my father's. I must honor the others who have passed on in order to locate my own family member. How fitting, how right. I can't find my father's drawer, but I now take the time to read the other names of mothers, fathers, children and spouses. Somebody loved them, so I will remember them, too. Take a moment. Write down the names of your loved ones. Everybody. If they have passed on, take a moment to picture them in your mind. Say hello. Thank them. Out loud.

Suitcase

It is a packed suitcase. What is the story?

The Topic is Sex

War and sex. Love and anger.
The conquering troops and sexual domination of the conquered.
Fear and Sadness,
Adrenalin and the Rush of Gunfire.
The stories of those who have gone to war frequently include an encounter with love and loss.
When has your story taken you onto the battlefield of love? What was gained, and what was lost? How have you been changed?

Happy Sandwich Moment

Think of your favorite sandwich. Now use that sandwich as an anchor that guides you through your memories. Think of a time you were very happy, and you were eating a sandwich. Go back to that moment. Think about it. What kind of sandwich was it? Who prepared it? Where were you? Who was with you? What kind of day was it? Write about your happy sandwich moment. And enjoy.

The Doorbell

Surprise! The Doorbell just rang, and you have an overnight package delivery. It is something you have been waiting for a long time. What is it? Describe it, and what it means to you.

September 11

I was already crying when I woke up at 6 am on September 11, 2001, for
I woke up knowing that it would be the last day that I would be in the condo where my mother and step dad had spent the last ten years of their lives. I had spent the night alone in the upstairs bedroom, over the room where mom had given her last shout out to lung cancer a few years before. My step dad had been moved up north to live out his days with his real daughter. It was my job to clean out the house and get it ready for sale.
So, I woke up and turned on the TV, expecting to see Katie Couric's smile.
Instead I saw, with sleepy, tear filled eyes, a plane fly into the World Trade Center Tower.
With one gasp I knew that the world had changed, and never felt more alone than at that moment.
Please just take a moment to pray for a better tomorrow.