Our Dream

This is a collective piece, written by the amazing human beings who have supported me and inspired the Writing to Heal journey, now almost six years old. It marks the 200th blog in this project. 

People were asked to reflect on the previous piece and to finish a refrain used in Dr. King's speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 where he repeats, "We will not be satisfied until ____." 

Here, then, is our collective voice finishing that refrain in our current world, six decades later.

I will not be satisfied until

I am the best version of myself.

I am content with my life as it is.

People smile at one another as they pass by each other - instead of staring into their phones.

 

We will not be satisfied until

God's beautiful creation is at peace.

Humanity values itself and its environment

Our society sees through divisive politics and unites with common goals.

People realize that the media, left and right, have agendas and that a "news" story will be slanted to suit the narrative. Please wait until all the facts are known before flying into a rage.

 

We will not be satisfied until

There is peace and all people have access to care for their families. 

Every human, regardless of gender, is treated as equals from birth to death.

There is peace and all people have access to care for their families 

Every human being has full autonomy over their life, their choices and path forward.

 

We will not be satisfied until

Freedom is not a privilege but a birthright.

Every human mind can access quality education - regardless of the stage of life.

Every person has the opportunity to achieve equitable health outcomes.

 

We will not be satisfied until

We see and hear that the communities of color and children not feel threatened, unsafe, or harmed by action nor words from our own government. We need to do better in this U.S. Nation! 

Peace reaches all people.

All people throughout the world are given compassionate health care no matter their ability to pay for it.

We will not be satisfied until 

Our economy of extraction and unlimited “growth” one of mutual benefit, solidarity, and reciprocity towards both people and the planet.

We can see the humanity and worth in every human being.

Justice is real for everyone and we see each other for our shared humanity.

Poor children around the world are fed and safe and have a chance for a better life.

 

We will not be satisfied until

We are free from genocide.

Racism is extinct.

Everyone is treated as equal.

We can live in a world where we are not divided by hate.

 

We will not be satisfied until

Albuquerque is a place where every person has what they need to enjoy the pleasure of being alive.

Everyone feels a sense that they belong to something larger than themselves, and they see that reflected in the structures and the faces around them.

The health and well-being of children are at the center of all adult lives.

 

We will not be satisfied until

We live with love and respect in our stewardship of this earth.

Our children are safe, well-housed, well-fed, and loved.

We truly believe in the power of the creative arts to help us heal body, mind, and soul.

We make honesty, integrity, and LOVE an active part of our everyday lives.

 

We will not be satisfied until

Every unhoused individual finds shelter if they so choose.

Every empty stomach is filled.

We realize that we are ONE with all of creation.

 

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we WILL be satisfied when

Love is seen as the only reality

 +

Gratitude fills every heart to overflowing.

The Dream

Is The Dream alive?

My children ask.

My own heart wonders.

When Dr. King rose to the podium in August of 1963, 250,000 people in front of him and the nation and world tuned in, he hadn’t planned to speak of the dream. The magnificent gospel singer Mahalia Jackson who sat behind him, shouted out “Martin, tell them about the dream.”

There are two themes in Dr. King’s speech in the moments before he decides to share about The Dream that I think are worth visiting.

First, a litany of lines that begin with “We cannot be satisfied until…”

He points out the many ways that racism continues to limit those of color, despite advances that the Civil Rights Movement had made.

Dr. King’s words:

We cannot be satisfied as long as the colored person’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.

We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “for white only.”

We cannot be satisfied as long as a colored person in Mississippi cannot vote and a colored person in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.

Today, we might update the list. Our country and world still leaves behind too many, with greed and power threatening love and justice. I encourage you to make your individual list, “I will not be satisfied until ____”. Fill it in as many ways as you can. It might point you into directions of service and leadership for 2026, places where you can work on The Dream.

Dr. King ends that section with a powerful line that still rings true as a guide for today:

No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

The second theme comes in the line before he begins to share about The Dream. Can you remember this line? It is an admittance that there is good reason to want to give up. I sense that amongst my friends and neighbors at the moment. Too much heaviness. Too much violence. Not enough humanity and compassion. Not enough care for our ailing planet.

Here is the line:

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you, today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment,

I still have a dream.

It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

 

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My brothers and sisters, we let the “I am not satisfied until…” to re-commit ourselves to our neighbors and communities, to the pursuit of a more just society, and to the work of The Beloved Community. 

And we also acknowledge the despair as something to be overcome together, in community.

And then, we say in unison with Dr. King that despite the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, we are here to continue the work of The Dream.

 

Drawing from my daughter Shandiin

Meeting the excitement and pressure of the new year

8^th day of the new year.

A great moment to check in. How are you doing? How are you feeling? Energy level?

The first days of the new year come with a lot of excitement and a lot of pressure.

Excitement for the sense of renewal, and becoming better versions of ourselves. Excitement in putting the last year to rest and starting with a clean slate. Excitement at putting down some old habits and picking up some new habits.

Pressure to become better, to change, to have ambitious goals. We feel that pressure each time someone innocently asks us about our new year’s resolutions. However, a lot of the pressure in January is self-inflicted. It comes from a very good place – our desire to improve and enhance our lives and our living. And pressure, whether external or internal, can be a very good motivator for us to do things we would not otherwise do. Think back to coaches, teachers, and bosses you have had. The ones that got the most out of you probably did so through a healthy amount of pressure to succeed.

A few thoughts as we link arms to accept the challenge and opportunity that 2026 provides us, motivated by both the excitement and pressure to make some good changes.

First, the need to be flexible. I had a patient this week who proudly told me they want to exercise every day this year. It was the 5^th day of the year when they told me, and they had not yet started. So, their ability to move the start date back a few days is going to be a key to their success. Many folks who set the same goal would have already given up if they hadn’t started on January 1^st.

Second, if you don’t feel like you have had a chance to set meaningful goals for 2026, make space to do just that. The holidays can get busy and lots of us emerge from them without having had the time to reflect on what we want to work on. Take part or even the entire month of January to come up with goals for yourself. This isn’t a timed test. Take as much time as you need.

Third, find and build your community that will support you in these goals. Life is a much easier game when we are surrounded by family and friends, neighbors and classmates, co-workers and supporters. Strengthening your community may even become a goal in itself for the new year.

Last, once you have goals in hand, I like the 3-2-1 method for getting started. Think about the 3-day, 2-week and 1-month perspective on the goal. This is the art of making bite sized morsels out of an overwhelmingly-sized cake. Take, for example, a goal of trying to learn to swim. The 3-day goal might be to sign-up for swim lessons. The two-week goal might be to find a bathing suit. And the 1-month goal might be to have had a few lessons, to feel slightly more comfortable in the water. The bigger goal has been broken into immediate, achievable steps.

Have fun as we kick off the 2026 journey together.

Musings from the Roller Skating Rink

Now, we find ourselves with three days left in 2025.

A natural place for a pause.

A chance to reflect and look over what was the year that has been.

A wonderful moment to vision what the year to come might be.

Where would you go to find inspiration in this moment? Is there a place in nature that calls you out here on December 29^th? Maybe even a nook in your house or a coffee shop or public library that is one of your sacred spaces.

All very good options, and I urge you to seek these places out, to make space for quiet and reflection in these last days of 2025.

My spot for inspiration was slightly less obvious. Strobe lights, music blasting, and lots of teen/tween energy. Any guesses?

Answer: The roller skating rink!

I decided to jump in with my daughters and try roller skating with them. I didn’t quite want to be out there on wheels, but I also didn’t want to sit on the sidelines. As a dad, going out of my comfort zone to do things with my children usually works out well.

And maybe right here, as I stepped timidly onto the wooden floor, wobbling like a deer taking its first steps, is a reminder for our 2026 journey:

Jump on in! Lace up the skates and go for it.

Amazingly, about thirty minutes later I was still in one piece, doing a decent job at faking it that I was comfortable on skates. And loving the thrill of being out there with my daughters.

Then I noticed something quite interesting about us adults in the arena. In fact, I watched my fellow moms and dads skating to make sure my observation was correct.

While the kids were out there to skate for joy, to experience the thrill of pushing their limits, going as fast as they could, us adults were out there with a goal of not falling. In fact, while kids were often on the ground, laughing about what just happened to cause them to tumble, I never saw an adult fall. Not in any way because we were better skaters – no, it was simply that we skated not to fall, while the kids skated to feel exhilaration. For them, even the falls themselves were a part of the fun.

As we head into 2026, may we all work to get beyond fear of failure and fear of falling in our life adventures. May we follow the kids' lead and skate for joy and exhilaration.

In fact, maybe our goal in 2026 should be to fall a few times, as that would be a great sign that we were pushing our limits. And maybe, just maybe, when we do fall, we can giggle about it and see that the fall as a success.

Signing out from the temple of wisdom that is the roller skating rink. 

Happy new year everyone!

Silence and Stillness

 

Silence and stillness seek you.

It may have been awhile since you have talked, 

But they are ready to sit with you and give you all the time you need.

Silence and stillness in these last two weeks of the year are likely the best presents we can gift ourselves.

Silence and stillness, in these last 1.5 million heartbeats that will get us to 2026, could become our new rhythm.

Will we accept their invitation?

Will we make space for nothingness, for everything, for ourselves this holiday season?

 

May you find silence and stillness in these last days of the year, brothers and sisters.

And in those moments where you become distracted and overwhelmed,

May silence and stillness find you.

Mad Dash!

The plane wheels touched down at 11:33.

I exited the plan about 10 minutes later.

James Bond-esque dodging in and out of the airport-goers to get to an Uber at 11:51.

I was now speeding toward the University of California-Davis Medical School where I was to give a talk at 12:00.

[But for a moment, I let my mind wonder…No, I was trying to catch the smugglers before they left their hideout, one that I had discovered using binoculars and a pair of tweezers. This was becoming more like an A-Team episode…]

But back to reality, here I was on the highway, in an Uber, having left my wife behind to get bags and rental car. My head pounded from a morning of stress as delayed flights ruined the best made plans.

And then, I have to tell you about another person in this story.

Her name is Ashley. She was the one who arranged for the Uber, ditching our previous Plan B which was for me to somehow give the talk via Zoom from the Sacramento airport, as we didn’t think I could make it to the talk in person.

[I had imagined my wife getting surrounded by airport security. “Ma’am, you can’t leave luggage or husbands unattended in the airport. He has been over there at Baggage Carousel #5 for the last 40 minutes, talking about who knows what and annoying the heck out of our customers.”]

Ashley was that gentle guide that you need when in trouble, when things start spinning a bit too fast.

As the Uber screeched to the curb at the medical school at 12:12, Ashley was there waiting to escort me to the building. Her smile reassured me that all was going to be okay.

A few technical difficulties later, around 12:23, the talk began.

Ashley, and the good people at UC Davis, thank you for making yesterday something I can write about this morning with a smile.

And a receding headache…

Soul Recovery Cafe' - Healing Through Community

For those looking for a new path, a way to put addiction and trauma behind them, there is a new option in town.

The Soul Recovery Café (SRC) is an incredible group of individuals working on their own recovery as they build a space for others to do the same. They are not a twelve-step program, but have members who take part in these programs (e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous). SRC brings in traditional medicine and he healing power of movement into their work. But above it all, they recognize that addiction creates isolation and their work is to build community for all who are in their programs. This community becomes the scaffold on which recovery and new paths are built.

Their director, Elise Padilla, said a few things about their work that I felt are worth sharing, principles that all of us can aspire to live by.

1.       “We don’t build programs, we build community. The community will then build our programs.”

      Too often, we focus on how to build amazing programs without thinking much about how to build the community part. SRC takes the approach that if you get people who begin to trust one another, over food, conversation, ceremony, etc. then those people will bring their talents and ideas to do the work of building the programs.

Foundations for SRC’s work: radical hospitality and loving accountability

To be radically hospitable…sign me up. What a great thing to shoot for! To have an open-arms acceptance of those in our midst. Loving accountability thrown into the mix. Loving others in a way that is honest. It is love that is not afraid of hurting feelings, but is instead focused on promoting healing.

Finally, Elise shared that she has two rules for those who work at SRC:

(1)    Keep it fun

(2)    If you aren’t working on yourself, you aren’t working with me

The first part of this, a simple reminder that the most serious of work (e.g. helping someone out of addiction) should have fun elements at its core if it is to be effective. And the second, a reminder that in all of our work and lives, we must commit to our own healing and practice that if we hope to inspire others to do the same.

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I hope the SRC way of doing things brings a smile to your heart this Friday.

And if you want to join us on New Year’s Day, we will be putting on a fun, non-competitive walk/run. The 3^rd Annual New Year’s Prediction Run/Walk is free, but we offer people a chance to donate funds that will go directly to SRC, with a goal of raising $5000. The entire event is centered in celebrating those in recovery, whether they are hours or days or months or years into sobriety. Hope that you will join us!