Letting Go

I haven't seen the sun for 6 days...Tennessee winter , rain, wind, cold, grey. Driving around Nashville looking at houses that are to big,too much, like fat double cheese burgers, and, too expensive so they sit in the neighborhoods empty with signs proclaiming "Reduced" or "New Price".
There's so much stuff everywhere in this Land of The Not Free at All, that it is depressing and empty feeling.All this stuff that has been given so much importance and value and everywhere I look people are afraid and complaining and alone in their cars and Christmas is depressing for everyone because they can't keep feeding the need for even more to keep how they really feel inside at a distance.
Now it's the day before yesterday , late in the afternoon and Bella, my 6 year old and I are driving through the pastures at The Ranch looking at the cows. The cows have hay and water and they are literally fat and happy...that's a relief, they are happy and some say dumb I don't agree but ok, so what, they aren't stupid like us humans. A cow can find happiness in a good meal and a place out of the cold wind to lay down and rest. We've become way to important to appreciate such simple gifts from life. We demand more and more and more....I miss Mexico.
As we idle through the fields I look across the river and there's a great Bald Eagle sitting on the branch of a huge old Sycamore tree watching us. I stop the pick up and point her out to Bella,"Wow, she's beautiful Daddy", Bella puts down her window and leans out making some call to the Eagle. I don't know where that came from and I smile.
Earlier that morning I was standing in the driveway out side our double wide at the Ranch talking with my friend and partner Julie Norton when I looked across the river, 5 miles from where Bella and I had seen the Eagle, and soaring over the pasture was a great white headed Bald Eagle with his tail feathers fanned out as he hovered over a beaver pond that I'd told my cow crew to leave be since I like to take my girls out to see how the beavers work their magic. The Eagle was looking for a meal and I was needing to see something to remind me that all this creation is here to support the coming of the light back into this world.
Two Bald Eagles in one day when seeing one is rare here and I have to look in my minds mirror and say "Enough with the drama White Boy, remember who you work for and lets keep moving , there's so much to do". I talk to the voices in my head. I don't usually believe them but there are some voices that seem to come from another place, beyond where what I "think" is King.
This Ranch recovery Center began with a vision I had in the desert in Tucson 11 years ago and today I'm realizing I'm returning to bring what has been so graciously shared with me over the last 6 years of living between Mexico and California back to the land where I began to re-dream my reality , from Hell to Heaven on Earth.
In a strange way it's perfect that this American Dream is melting down all around us while The Ranch is coming into it's 10th year of offering perspective to those who can't make the reality they've been living work for them any more.There will be more and more people offered life's great opportunity to question what they believe and let go of how they demand and judge and if the invitation is widely accepted this will be a great place to live a life. If life's invitation is pushed back on and the old ways are defended rather than let go of , well then, like all addicted people there will be new levels of fear and suffering ahead cuse the truth of life just won't go away, thank Buddha.
I hear the wind blowing outside and Mee's drinking all the coffee so I'd better get up and get me some and go seek the light in this gray Tennessee Morning....A Big Christmas Hug to You All, Love, Lee