In the seven or so years we’ve lived across the street from Albert and Laurie, we’ve chatted a dozen or so times – usually about the weather, or the cherry blossoms. We wave and we smile with sincere cheer. When my son was born, Laurie brought over apple cobbler. And that’s about the extent of our relationship. I can’t even recall their last name, but I remember what their kid was for Halloween, and I know that Albert sails.

And now I know that Laurie is having a hard time breathing.

Jump cut to Albert in front of my house, leaning against his garden rake. My eyes filled with quiet tears. “Albert,” I warned. “I’m going to hug you.” We hugged and talked briefly about treatment possibilities. And I offered to water their plants or bring over dinner. And that was that.

I did the math: when I’m Laurie’s age, about fifty, my son will be a teenager like hers is now. And I thought about how inconceivably ripped off I’d feel to be called out of this life in my mere fifties. I wondered if Laurie is regretting anything. I wondered if she’s happy with how she’s lived her life – if she’s felt…free.

And I noticed that I was asking those same questions of myself, actually. And just when I was about to go back on existential autopilot with, “people get sick, people die, that’s life,” I decided to allow myself to be affected. I decided that not only is life short, but MY life is short. And that being the case, I need to fill my cup with a little more delight and inspiration.

So this week, I’m taking my kid out of daycare early and we’re going to the art gallery. I’m going to burn some CDs for friends, just because, and I’m going to actually CALL some friends. (Radical…picking up the phone instead of pressing “send”). I’m going to give myself the space to think about truth and pop culture. I’m going to meander and weave and warble out some thoughts that have been sitting on the branches of my mind for awhile.

This means that I’m going to take a week off from blogging. My palms are kind of sweaty. It’s almost blasphemous for a serious blogger to not have daily content. Will my traffic slip? Will they still love me? Oi. And what timing! I’m featured in the May issue of Better Homes & Gardens (albeit in my last business incarnation), and I’m booking up my LA and Portland Fire Starter gigs. I should be diligently at the helm. Should be….should be….

My life is short, no matter how long it ends up being. It is bigger than web stats, my heart is larger than “should.” Inspiration lives beyond expectation. I’m going to inhale it more deeply, while I can.

To me, the bliss of dawn heralds a rebirth everyday – a rebirth of the earth and our human spirit.

It is during the dawn as the soft and delicate glow unfolds that we come closest to nature in her pristine form.

The Sufi poet Rumi reminds us, “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell. Don’t go back to sleep.”

Lovers from across the ages will attest that the gentle breezes of dawn can soothe a troubled heart.

Enjoying nature during dawn is one of the most enchanting experiences known to us. Immersing oneself in daybreak lends a touch of ethereal enchantment to drab lives and a mundane existence.

From the dawn emanates an energy of hope and regeneration that keeps us inspired all through the day in spite of the challenges thrown at us.

So, if you really want to have a beautiful and inspired day, wake up early and pay homage to the dawn.

Call it what you want: the zone, the flow, the magical gap, the illuminating silence….there is a place in space and time where we tend to think and feel most clearly. And in that place, aha’s, creative genius, strategies, and revelations tend to flow our way.

Notice when and where the Idea Fairy likes to visit you.

Notice how solutions enter your being.

Maybe it’s when you’re talking to a particular friend or associate (interaction). When you’re cruising down the highway or walking to work (movement). Or in the bathtub or washing the dishes (water). Some people’s Idea Fairies like to show up after a good meal or great sex, first thing in the morning, or just as they’re drifting off to sleep.

The Idea Fairy can be slightly unpredictable. She won’t always show up when you’re in the zone. But she really appreciates being invited.