I Won't Let Go

A GREAT NEED

Out of a great need
We are all holding hands
And climbing.
Not loving is a letting go.
Listen,
The terrain around here
Is far too dangerous
For that.

Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky

Jerry and I spent the last weekend of summer with 20 friends in the high sierras. We arrived Friday evening in time to share dinner and wine and then made music and danced before making love and falling off into a happy sleep.

I soaked in the hot tub for a couple of hours Saturday morning, conversing with various friends before having coffee and breakfast and sharing our Burningman slide show which everyone loved, a few now convinced that they have to make the trek. The temple pictures seemed to be the highlight and I got a lot of compliments on the art of my photography which was nice. Afterwards we drove to Salmon Lake--this is a picture I took from 7,000 feet up while on a nice little hike before stripping naked and plunging into the refreshing cold mountain water. I so needed that end of summer, welcoming fall ritual and it warmed my soul. We headed home in the early evening and shared a dyad session before starting dinner preparations which turned out to be a lovely communal affair with much intimate conversation mingled in with the chopping of vegetables. There were tears and hugs, music, dancing, and love spilling out into every dish. Dinner was outrageously delicious and then we headed off upstairs for another dyad. Afterwards we made music, danced, drank wine, eat chocolate ganache, sang, wrestled, kissed, and cuddled in puppy piles of love late into the night.

Sunday morning we all slept in. Breakfast and coffee was late and then we sat in meditation followed by another dyad. Many folks were staying on with another hike planned to a different lake while some of us packed to go. No one was anxious to part company so we all lingered, loving, sharing more stories with an abundance of open hearts, savoring the connection.

Happy Equinox and remember that Out of a great need we are all holding hands and climbing. Not loving is a letting go. Listen, the terrain around here is far too dangerous for that.