Vernon Howard gave everything he had to his students. Then, as he said, he went home without giving them a second thought. He also said once, “My prayers for you are always answered.” This is the human paradox we are called to embrace.

Now I have a teacher named Theo Paredes. I only see him twice a year for one hour. Nevertheless, he gives me everything he has and I know better than to bother him unless I am sick and need his energetic help.

So I am trying to get to sleep tonight when wham, it hit me. This is all I owe you. I write, giving you everything I’ve got. And then I return to my ordinary life.

Leonard Cohen is an idol of mine, as he is to thousands of other people. He gave us everything he had and then he returned to the earth, leaving us with unopened gifts of his words and music.

This is how life unwinds like an endless teaching. It can be no other way.

My child of seven taught lots of people that loved her and then she had to leave. In her mighty faith she moved mountains and inspired those that knew her.

No one on earth owes us anything. So-called enlightened teachers are made of clay like everyone else. So they have intellectual knowledge, so what? So do you.

The jewels are strewn all around us and everyone is giving us all they have got. That is a sacred truth and the highest teaching. No one can do anything more and no one should. For then they are borrowing on energy that they do not have.

The rays of light reach us in our darkness and we do not cling to them. If we tried to cling to the sun, it would destroy us. It would be more than we could take. Love is the same way. No clinging allowed.

Well, I shall go back to bed now.

Vicki Woodyard