Today is my Mom’s birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mom!!
[COFFEE]
Drinking the usual; the standard by which all other coffees are judged:
Ethiopian Guji from the local spot, Hopscotch Coffee & Records. 5/5
[MUSIC]
Siriusly Sinatra on SiriusXM (Channel 71)
The trio of coffee, Sinatra, and a crossword puzzle has been my happy place since my early twenties.
[PODCAST]
I love Ram Dass’s work. I was having a Ram Dass moment with a fellow fan, Jeff Nichols and he sent me this podcast, saying it was his favorite episode.
So, naturally, I listened - and it didn’t disappoint.
If you’re into consciousness, identity, destruction of/transcending the ego, this is a must listen.
In Ram’s own words,
“it’s dense, but it’s tasty stuff.”
[BOOK]
I haven’t listened to anything on Audible lately. I’m hoarding credits so I have have multiple Jack Reacher books for an upcoming cross-country drive (30 hours in the vehicle, each way 😬)
Here are 2 books that are on my “to-read” list and one from my bookshelf that I frequently recommend to friends:
Scholar Warrior: An Introduction To The Tao in Everyday Life by Ming-Dao Deng
How To Listen: Discover The Hidden Key To Better Communication by Oscar Trimboli (upcoming podcast guest!)
Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Foods by Dr. Cate Shanahan
Deep Nutrition is an oldie, but goodie. I have recommended that one to several people recently, so it’s probably a good one to include here. Check it out for the 4 Pillars of The Human Diet.
Sacrificing & Showing Up For Those We Love
My parents recently visited us for a weekend and I had a chance to thank my Mom for some of the specific things she did for me growing up.
Particularly, playing taxi-driver for me.
I used to play on a travel soccer team that practiced across town.
I was the only player on that team from my area/high school.
When I was in middle school, she used to work 45 minutes across town.
(Ironically, that employer was one of the places with fields that hosted our games and practices, so Mom drove there and back TWICE on some days!)
Then she took a job that was over an hour down the interstate.
Her work commutes went from 90 minutes per day to 2+ hours per day - on good days!
Then, as soon as she got home, she’d load me in the car with my smelly soccer gear and drive me back across town 45 minutes for a 2-hour practice and then drive 45 minutes home.
That’s another 1.5 hours of driving AND 2 hours sitting in the car while I’m horsing around at practice, because, like she said last weekend: “it wasn’t like I was going to drive home and then come back to pick you up”.
So, 2-3 days per week, for 3-4 years, my mom spent 4.5-5.5 hours per day in her car so that my ungrateful, entitled ass could have the childhood they gave me.
(☝️ I wasn’t a “problem child”. But I was a teenager. And I know I wasn’t as appreciative or aware of the situation as I am now.)
The older I get, the more I realize this sacrifice (among others) my mom made. I’ve been aware of it for a while now…
But this was the first time we really discussed it and I really had the chance to acknowledge it to her and thank her for it.
So, cheers mom.
Thanks for showing me what it means to show up for those we love. Happy Birthday.