One of my all-time favorite memories is not one memory, persay, but a series of the same brand of memory that ran in my life for many years:

My soon-to-be Dad at 12 years old (and on) never calling me his stepdaughter. 

That’s it, that’s the memory. I guess the flip to that — to him NOT calling me his stepdaughter — is that he proudly called me his daughter even before he made the move to adopt me (which he did a few years later). 

The *proudly* bit being one of the most important bits to this particular story I’m telling today on my Dad’s birthday.

Happy Birthday, Dad! 

When you feel someone’s decision ~ their devotion ~ it changes everything.

I’m 45, and to this day, can feel what a mark this, his love shown in this particular way, in those pre-teen years, left on me. 

Not just knowing or seeing that you have love or family intellectually or on paper, but *feeling* that you’re a part of something is not just a gift given one time, but it’s where a rebirth or life begins for all of us, no matter if we’re a kid or an adult. 

Each year, this week also always beautifully happens to bring my company/work anni [MGI is 18 years old this week].

As I write this, in honor of my Dad, I must say this about leaving your mark (“branding”, part of my chosen work, as I’ve learned over the last 18 years is so much more, special or better than the word implies) ~ this entire life is about leaving a mark in the way we express values inside the way we communicate with and to others (to baristas, cashiers, other strangers, clients, daughters, sons, fathers or mothers etc), in the way we open and honestly tell the story of humanity (ours in particular, but others’ stories too, especially those with no voice), how consistently we treat or show UP [and UP] for people when others aren’t watching and how in integrity we are with what we think, do and say in both private and public time.

In the business and non-business world, we complicate things, but as I’ve learned from Papo (our name/endearment for him since grandkids arrived), it’s all about relationship…and, as I’ve folded into this business-turned-higher calling over the last six years or so, helping women, not just create a ‘brand identity’ that makes people feel like they’ve known her forever, but helping us get to know ourselves spiritually even more deeply through nature and the (super) natural and via the generosity felt through service, so everything in our lives works or ticks even more smoothly or elegantly, is as vital). 

If we can think of growth in any one part of our lives this way…that it’s about relating and doing the work it takes to get to know both ourselves *and* that special someone in front of us, this thing we call success or happiness or peace will always be ours (it was never not ours).

Though so much has changed in our family, one thing will never change and that’s the love I have for how my identity, expressed and felt spiritually, didn’t begin with a name, but with my Dad’s family love. 

Today, I celebrate his resilient heart, fun/light-hearted ways and how we are continuing to get to know the new people who have emerged in recent years in equally new ways! 

Boy (my original last name) do fathers/dads/papas/papos mean so very much…xo.

It felt so good to know who & what was waiting at base camp for me in July (my loving guides, sustenance, safety, guidance, companionship etc.) —⁣
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For the three days and three nights I continued to fast solo on my vision quest, it added to my settled nature and feelings of ease and  joy, both of which I experienced much of up there, knowing that my guides (and supplies) were there for me should I need them. ⁣
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It hit me recently that this is exactly what we are to our teenagers ~ a base camp. A place to refuel and recharge and a place that’s always there, no matter how bad the weather gets.⁣
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It’s the place they can count on to be there with guidance (here’s how to get there, hey, take this with you and here’s how to navigate this or that to keep yourself safe or grounded), with endless supplies (lotttts of food and root beer floats) and to be there, not just as a symbol of warmth, but an active representation of it, both in the human and comfy, clean cotton sheet variety. ⁣
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All of it adding, hopefully, to their feelings of being more able to meet the wild ways of the big world out there or — of the big world inside themselves they are just as wildly maneuvering.⁣

They may or may not act like they need this ‘should they need it’ base camp often or that they’re happy to have it, but that’s simply because most of their brain and emotional power is going to understanding who they are right now, who others think they are and to deciding if they like any of it or not. ⁣
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As real and as natural as the animals in the forest are or the ability of weather, like human personalities, to shift in a matter of seconds, they’re — as genuinely — going through a lot.⁣
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It’s true, they may not need us in the ways they once did, and they may be more quiet overall (which may feel like it complicates connection), but as long as we keep the light on for them at base camp and give them some extra matches in all the ways shared above to be able keep their own lights on, we are doing right by them. ⁣
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They’ll “come back to us” more fully eventually, but need to be given to themselves right now because teenagehood — > it’s one of the more challenging vision quests around. ⁣
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[Sleeping bag shot before we left on our solo journeys + bear-proof food bags high up in the tree, all at base camp + watercolor that someone made me, xo]⁣
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#visionquester⁣
#creativeheroine⁣
#brandofwoman

I love a sexy heel, but I’m more comfortable in hiking boots. Ask me to choose between going to a fancy dinner or to trek that next peak or valley (no matter how hot or how heavy the pack), and whether that peak or valley be physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual, and every time

I’ll choose door number two. 
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Never let a woman’s painted nails, profession even — or those heels (that can’t WAIT to come off) fool you!⁣
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[Another ecopsychology apprenticeship weekend is now complete. Photos are from the July vision quest ~ appreciated so much having a camera to capture certain moments. Both of these photos come with many thoughts, emotions and special moments attached to Day Two of four of fasting and being alone on the mountain, not to be confused with lonely].⁣
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#visionquester⁣
#brandofwoman⁣
#creativeheroine

At this time tomorrow, I will have been driving for two hours to a new prison. ⁣
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I won’t know anyone who will have hopped in my car at 5:50am (reminds me ~ I answered a Craigslist ad 10 years ago for a runner to complete a team for Hood to Coast and ended up spending a full day and night in a sweaty van, not sleeping, but running with that crew, one of the more awesome and memorable times). ⁣
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Strangers. Friends you simply haven’t met yet. ⁣
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Tomorrow’s agenda is forgiveness, being impeccable with your word, depression and more (infinite gratitude, Fritzi and the Compassionate ⁣Prison Project).⁣
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This photo is of sentiments shared by a few men from a previous prison visit.⁣
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I am often asked why (more like WHY!!??) I would go to prison and my answer, it doesn’t come in words. It’s this —💗 .⁣
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It’s the same reason I jumped with excitement to answer the Craigslist ad, tell my kid my own insecurities, let people into my lane in busy LA traffic, say hi and look into the eyes of those homeless in any city when I walk by…[or — if/when I veer from being who I really am, as quickly as possible check myself and get back to that. To 💗].⁣
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Strangers. Not and never — really. There’s always something common to find inside our humanity and sweaty imperfection. ⁣
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It’s in all of us. The sweaty imperfection and💗. We just get to train our imperfection(s) to use the 💗 to see the💗.