it’s been a little over a week since i joined in my first post-vaccinated pandemic gathering to celebrate a dear friend and teacher Laura Whitten as she retired from over 3 decades of teaching. it was so inspirational to be in that space, to hear testimonials to the beneficial influence she has had on so many lives. to bear witness to all the love.

i know in my high school experience, she was a safe space, a place of open hearted love – sometimes tough and fierce, sometimes warm and gentle, but always open and ready to dive in and do whatever was necessary to benefit her students. love does what it needs to do.

i know i was extremely fortunate to have a few teachers in my life who filled this space. it really makes a difference for the better. teachers need to be celebrated more! the value of a teacher and the benefit they have on their students cannot be overestimated or over celebrated.

i want to share the enso/calligraphy art i gifted, because i think its message can apply to our lives as well. i will borrow from the message i shared on the back of the art:

when we live with an open heart, when we teach with an open heart, we are teaching others how to be more human. they are learning how to be a presence of unconditional love, a space of safety, and beneficial force for others in the world.

additionally, when we ourselves practice having an open heart, we are welcoming life and those around us to teach us how to be a more beneficial force in the world, in this life, and to be more human. so, with an open heart we are both teacher and student. in this way, an open heart is the best teacher.

grateful to Laura and all incredible teachers out there changing lives and life for the better. true bodhisattvas! may i too live and teach in such a way. ❤️🙏🏻

~j

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