Wake Up To Life-The Love Generation

"Buddhahood is your birthright. You claim it every time you wake up to the present moment."
Karen Maezen Miller

My daughter, Talia, is a Buddha. She is a master of living in the now. She savors life. She delights in simplicity. She is devoted to playing, dancing, giggling and exploring her world. She loves all that sparkles. She loves being silly, making up rhymes and singing songs. Though at the core of all of her high energy and life discovery, she is a lover, an awakener. It is not lost on us that she is offering constant opportunities to be present, to let go of rigid adult agendas that at times blind us to real connection, and to the miracle of life happening before our eyes, every moment.

Last week, she said "Mama, let's go play our violins." (She has a ukulele and I have a guitar, but for short sometimes she just calls them "violins.")

"Mama, let's sing about love 'n generation," she said.
"OK," I said, "You start and then give me the signal to come in and we'll duet."

She sang, "We are love 'n generation. We love to sing, dance and play. We love ourselves and we love each other. We are healthy and free. We are the love generation."

Then she gave me the thumbs up (my cue to sing). We continued to sing, strum and laugh in timelessness. Dropping into the sweet spot of creativity and communion with my 3 year old is ecstasy. And on this day her lyrical improvisation was especially touching.

Naturally, I have a bias. I think my kid is channeling the genius of her generation...The LOVE GENERATION... and why not? We have had the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and now, the "Love Generation." Their time has come. They are reminding us of what is most important...offering ourselves as love in a life giving way. One definition of generation that I love is Genesis: a coming into being. I extend the invitation to you. Come into being LOVE. BE the generation of LOVE. That is the message I'll take from my child oracle. I give thanks for her effortless modeling of what it is to be truly alive.

"The miracle is not walking on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive."
Thich Nhat Hanh