Parisa Fitz-Henley Instagram – Oh my goodness I’m so grateful! The last week and a half since my birthday (22 July) has been so rich. I spent the day itself driving through the desert on a solo cross country journey. This was my second birthday in a row in the desert, a place this water baby has come to appreciate so deeply. Following the example of friends who claim an entire month to celebrate their own births I decided to just stay open, navigating the habitual awkwardness I’ve had around celebrating mine at all. I decided to receive, to associate this time with an extra openness to joy and discovery — and what do you know, they showed up! 🤩 This is me in hot hot hot Nevada, in front of the ice-cold, beautiful Colorado river, with Arizona on the other side. I soooo recommend driving across a country — especially if you could use a reminder of the vastness of this planet, that in Truth we belong to all of it and that it belongs to all of us. I didn’t forget the lines that have been drawn, or the mindfulness required to navigate our many misunderstandings and shortcomings. I just got a chance to remember the bigger stuff more. What a blessing!!! Many thanks to all who sent messages last week. I wish I could have responded to them all individually. Please know how much they and you have been appreciated. I’m learning it’s always a good time to receive. It’s always the right time to feel joy. Nature is the definition of generosity and a reminder of our place in existence. There’s beauty even in dry expanses. Spirit is the ever-present, constant companion. It’s possible to not only step into the future with open arms, but also to gain new understandings of the past with an open heart. And of course, that magic abounds. Here’s to another year of life! Thank you for being a part of mine! Image description: A selfie of me smiling, curly brown hair out and blowing in the breeze, wearing a black halter top with white polka dots. Behind me, the green-blue Colorado River rippling, a bit of green foliage, white sand and a blue sky with whisky white clouds.