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“I stood there, without even casting and with no trout rising, and as the water rushed past me, I knew it was washing my burdens behind me, swirling them downstream like the autumn leaves.”
~ Steve Ramirez, Casting Forward
Just yesterday a friend from Montana called to wish me a happy New Year and she asked me, “What is the one thing you most wish for in 2023?” I answered without hesitation, “To be alive throughout the year.” I simply Love being alive. Life itself is magical. And there are no guarantees on how long our drift will last on this ever-changing river. All we have is now. I love all of my “children.” Each of my three books and even the fourth one that I began writing just the other day – are uniquely special to me and reading them reminds me of those times and places and people that have added magic and memories to my humble life. In fact, after the first answer I gave to my friend’s question I gave one that was a bit more practical and less ethereal. I said, “I want to hold my first copy of Casting Seaward in my hand once it come out in April. And, that will be a special moment, indeed. Still, I have to say that my life is full of special moments – and so is yours if you pay attention with a sense of open acceptance and gratitude. So with that in mind, I need to add that also on April 1st, my first book, Casting Forward will be making is debut in paperback. I guess this will be like having one of your children grow up, go to college, and then return home – changed but still the same soul you originally loved. I’m looking forward to holding a paperback copy of Casting Forward in my hand too… with bittersweet feelings. There will be no more hardcover copies available once the last few find their new homes. (If you ever think you might want it in hard cover for yourself or to give to a loved one… it’s now or never.) But it has lived in that form through three printings, and it’s time for it to be “grown up” yet still youthful in its timelessness. My friend from Montana who asked me that question has a father who will turn 100 years old in a few weeks. She told me that he likes to say, “I’m not growing old; I’m growing older.” Well… same here only, I also feel like I’m growing more childlike. I notice every little simple pleasure and I guess, there’s nothing better that I can possibly wish for, in the New Year – and always.
Namaste’ Y’all…