I hope you all had a great 08-08-08…. in the Chinese custom it is a very auspicious day. It was a wonderful day for me, perhaps because I swam in the ocean near dolphins that day, did a beautiful ceremony on the beach, and spent the day with people I love…celebrating my 40th birthday, no less…or as my friend Gypsy says, it is my second annual 39th. Birthdays feel different to me these days than they used to, say in my 20’s or 30’s. It feels like a day of recognition, where each person that called or e-mailed to wish or sing me happy birthday, I got to stop the whirlwind of my normal activity and simply get present to how much I love and appreciate them.

There is a part in the book, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, where Morrie is so sad after returning from the funeral of a dear friend. He says (and I paraphrase), “The upsetting part wasn’t that my friend died--he lived a good, full life. The sad part is that people said the nicest things about him… about the difference he had made, how he had done things that people were forever grateful for…people really loved him and what a shame that he wasn’t there to hear all those things.”

Morrie goes on to invite his closest friends and relatives over to his house for a “Living Funeral” so he could hear all the nice things they would say about him once he was dead, while he was still alive to hear it. What a brilliant idea!

That is now how I see birthdays…as living funerals…opportunities to completely stop and express deep love and appreciation for the people we love, and to receive that love deeply. In fact, why wait for a birthday, holiday or funeral…our time here is fleeting and precious. I suggest we make a love-fest out of every day of our lives…why not???

In addition to August being my birthday month, this is also the month that I am moving…yet, Dana and I are moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to a 40 acre ranch called Garden of the Goddess.

It is a beautiful retreat center…and you are all welcome to come (though, not all at once.) There are guest houses, and it is a perfect place for a goddess retreat…so please don’t hesitate to come out and book a session, book a retreat…this place is guaranteed to take your breath away…sooo beautiful.

And here’s the other piece of news…on September 3rd, I will be speaking at the United Nations in Paris. I will be moderating a panel about:

** The role that young people play in the fulfillment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals

** The role that art and media play in affecting the tipping point regarding human rights, health, and sustainability in the world

** Innovative ways that educators and youth leaders can incorporate the Millennium Development Goals and digital storytelling into the classroom

**and I will be showing a clip from the Dream Project documentary

Please send your prayers…I will be taking you with me!

I have also connected with the amazing Jemma Jacques from Dreams Can Come True Foundation.

And for the last (for now) bit of news…while I will be traveling a lot, Goddess Queen Magazine is undergoing a transformation…we will have a new issue for you tri-monthly instead of monthly. If you have any suggestions about changes you would like to see, articles you would like to read, or anything that we can do to enrich your experience of Goddess Queen Magazine, please let us know!

I wish you the most magnificent moment, and may you be present to how deeply loved and appreciated you are…and may you share the depth of your love and gratitude for the people whom you love in your live!

Blessings,

Kelly

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