I started my morning reading this beautiful post from friend Pam L. Houston. As I create the Slipper Camp 2016 – about LOVE – I was struck by Pam’s words: May we all engage with the things that allow us to face the world with love instead of fear, as this ship we are all on together swings its big bow today, back toward the sun. Thank you, Pam Houston for this. I needed it today.

The longest night of the year has passed. And these last weeks have seemed particularly dark, filled with, to borrow a phrase from a friend, empty militancy and compassionless ideology. It’s been harder than ever to have faith in America. Harder than ever to have faith in a lot of things. My solstice prayer this year is that the return of the light will indeed be the return of the light. A long time ago I met Carlos Casteneda in an airport–I was not particularly a fan–but he told me many things I have never forgotten, including how important it is to face the changes in my life with love instead of fear. I don’t always succeed at this of course, but I do try. Dogs help, and music, and great literature, and maybe most of all the natural world. May we all engage with the things that allow us to face the world with love instead of fear, as this ship we are all on together swings its big bow today, back toward the sun.