Some days, I become acutely aware of how heavily I walk in the world. There’s an awakening to the weight of my steps and how deeply connected I am to this planet and everything on it. I am alive and part of it all, stretching far beyond this tiny corner of the universe. In these moments, a gentle reverence falls over me—a thankful, gracious openness to all-that-is. Though I can sometimes intentionally awaken this feeling, it often arises unbidden, like a gift.
Last week, I experienced such a moment. We had gone out to celebrate my son’s birthday at one of his favorite restaurants, a cozy Thai place with an upstairs view overlooking the Potomac River and the park along its banks. We enjoyed our meal and each other’s company, and as we were finishing up, a quiet settled over our conversation. We found ourselves looking out the window at the passersby and the park below. Individuals, families, and couples moved along, and there was a profound sense of connection—a relational depth that went far beyond the glass of the window.
Our waitress, with her kind demeanor and gentle voice, kept our water glasses filled and brought us our check. As we rose to leave, I felt an overwhelming sense of connection to everything around me. My steps became lighter, more intentional, as if I wanted to avoid disturbing the ancient brick sidewalks of Old Town Alexandria. Every face we passed seemed quietly radiant, and with each carefully placed footfall, an inner Silence arose. I was fully present with Linda and Joshua, yet somehow, I was also deeply present to the world around us—both seen and unseen.
In moments like these, words often fail to capture the experience, language falling short of expressing the Ultimate Reality that reveals itself. Even as I write about it now, I am drawn back into that sacred space, though the words feel inadequate. The act of writing this has opened an inner spaciousness, my breathing has slowed, and my fingers seek to touch the keyboard lightly, as if they, too, are part of this writing.
Such moments are gifts—a reminder that I am part of an Infinite Oneness. They remind me that all the pretense and false rhetoric of measuring each other as separate, quantifiable beings only leads to the illusion that life is anything but a shared gift. The imagined scarcity that pervades so many cultures falls away in these moments, revealing that we are all siblings in a grand, shared adventure.
I write this as an invitation to walk gently on the earth. More than simply placing your feet lightly with each step, I invite you to adopt a gentler approach to the bluster and bravado that so often colors our lives. Let’s let go of the ego-driven, self-referential engagement with everything and everyone, and instead, see and feel the immensity of the gift of living. In doing so, we may discover a deeper, more authentic way of being—a way that honors the sacredness of all life and our profound connection to everything around us.
Infinitely Precious 