Count your blessings

Hal and I met the second summer of the Amherst Feldenkrais teacher training. He was visiting his wife, Marcia, one of my classmates in the program and a lifelong colleague here in Santa Cruz. We got to know each other that day, standing on the mezzanine, overlooking the gymnasium where Moshe was leading over two hundred people in an Awareness Through Movement lesson.

Over the coming years, Hal, who was a successful, socially conscious entrepreneur, became my business mentor. He was unerringly generous with his knowledge. Instead of providing answers, he asked questions, suggested ideas, indicated the kind of research I might do, and told stories, all of which taught me to think about finances and commerce. When my dad died 35 years ago, I asked Hal if he would be my second dad. Hal graciously accepted. His steady, wise guidance was a mainstay unless he passed away twenty years ago.

Today, I am getting together with Maria and the rest of my extended chosen family for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s our first holiday together in a long time. I am looking forward to seeing everyone.

Because of the county’s recently reinstated mandate, we will be wearing masks. This inconvenience is a small price to pay for gathering with the ones I love. It is also an unavoidable reminder that these trying pandemic times are not yet over.

Wherever you are, whatever ways you plan to celebrate this holiday season in the coming weeks, please take care and be safe.

We can get through this. Together.