take care of your body, son. you only get one. i don’t know what medical breakthroughs or longevity contraptions will emerge in your lifetime but they will likely be invented by those who prefer to avoid death, or prolong life. or at least make money from those who’d like to live longer, which is probably many.
do not get caught up in this nonsense. breathe your breaths. pay attention to what arises. get curious about things. stay awake to the beauty and the heartbreak in the world, for there is much and there will be more before it’s all over. immerse yourself in the splendour and the suffering and everything between for as long as it takes to live a life of service and love and ritual, and when it is time to die, trust that.
i was listening to wade davis’ book, the wayfinders, and once again that man had me in tears for all the cultures and languages this world has lost in the last couple of generations, and the why always comes down to the same why: disconnection.
when we become disconnected from our own bodies, we become disconnected from the earth. when we are disconnected from the earth, we tend to make poor choices—colonialism, for example—because we feel alone and scared.
pay attention to where you are, and where you have been. which stars rise and fall as you move? where is the moon in its cycle? what is the name of this wind, this snow, these clouds? how does water flow across this land?
remember that you are entitled to your body. feed and hydrate it with clean and nourishing food and water. learn which medicines are good for your body, and develop good relationships with them. run and jump and skip and climb and swim and dance and work to keep your body flexible and strong. rest thoroughly. do not skimp on sleep: get all the rest you need.
you are not entitled to other bodies. enjoy that fact, and make the most of the interactions you get to have with other bodies. ask for consent of others, offer reciprocity to the lands you visit, and learn all the ways your body can tune in to all that surrounds you: the air and the birds and the sun and the fire and the water and the tides and the wind and the fish and the animals and other humans, and crocodiles too.
learn to sense with your whole being, and trust that which arises.
work hard. learn where your limits are by continuing to challenge yourself. breathe deeper, sit longer, open more.
also, toss off all of this nonsense i say and move through the world in ways that feel right to you.
love you, kiddo.
Bows to you, Harwood. Love you so much.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Xavian is a lucky soul to have you as a dad. Love you brother ❤️