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Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.  ~Brene Brown 

My son, Luke is out in a jungle in Bolivia right now. He doesn’t have wifi, his computer got stolen and when he joins the larger group that he’s traveling with, he will find out that one of his childhood friends died suddenly last week.

One of the leaders on his trip reached out to me to let me know that he’s been out of touch, but she’ll be the one to communicate with him. She was asking about timing and details.

Thank you, dear Kate. I think a call when he gets out of the jungle will be good. Not having wifi is probably a gift. There are so many wonderful stories and photos of his friend Kevin. It’s beautiful and overwhelmingly heartbreaking….. Luke will feel/be sad for Kevin… and for the world. It is his way. I love my tenderhearted son. I can tell he’s still learning to walk through life with the hugest heart in the land. I wouldn’t dilute his love for anything.

What I want the most, is for you to hug him again. And remind him that he is up to this thing called life. That he needs to stay present and awake. Teach him to pray prayers dipped in tears. Remind him that lamenting is holy and God is not afraid of his anger or questions or tears.

What I want is for you to remind your beautiful squad that life is short even when it’s long in years. And that lives short in years can be rich in influence if lived well. We are here to make a difference. And we make the biggest difference by loving deep and wide. By connecting to the ones we like and the ones we don’t like. That radically honest is always best served with Love. And that a life goal should be: Have no regrets. Don’t get to the end of 11 months thinking, “Damn, I should have said that or done this.” Don’t get to the end of your life with a ton of wishes and empty promises. Add action and integrity to your wishing.

I want you all to calm down about WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE DOING WITH MY LIFE. I know that it sits in your spirit with that sort of urgency and tension.

Listen to me; LOVE well. BE present where you are. Listen intently for your current divine assignment – which I believe is simple. Love and serve those that are in your current sphere. Jump in the water. Climb the thing. Take a photo or for once don’t. Just be there and weave a memory into your soul.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving my son well. He is learning the deep lesson of learning to bless the bad just as we bless the good. You have been a faithful friend.

And now, I’m going to pour a glass of prosecco and sit out on the deck and listen to the birds talk politics while I read a book. Because sabbath.

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BE in your life,
Betsy