This site is dedicated to my beloved wife Amber, who died of breast cancer in April 2019. The domain name and owl image were chosen by her and we set up the site in the fall of 2018 as a way for her to express herself online. She was only able to post one entry called Fudgement™ – an essay she wrote about the interplay of fear and judgement in her life.
I have picked up the torch as a tribute to her and a way to honor the tremendous love we shared. I hope for it to be a collaborative effort with trusted friends and colleagues – and that great conversations can be started here.
Update 08/03/2025:
It has become clear that our global political/economic/social order is corrupt at it’s core – depending on domination, exploitation and objectification in order to divide us, and to reinforce this absurd and violent idea that some of us are better than others, or more deserving of lasting peace, happiness, and ever-greater freedom. We are all infected with this deeply false story, and each of us learns to play our part in the story we have been born into, hopefully in a way that creates greater self-trust and reminds us of our interdependence and interconnectedness with all of life – that we are not separate. And if we as a species can participate more deeply in this perspective, my hope is that the absolute lie upon which our global society functions becomes more and more untenable, such that real transformation can occur.
What does that all mean to me? I recognize that the blocks to freedom are essentially a problem in consciousness, and that each of us must navigate our own very unique and specific experience of self and find meaning and purpose that transcends the ideals and stories carried by our culture, community and family. To do so, we must take responsibility for how these stories live in us, and then work to dissolve the attendant blocks/conditionings that living them inevitably causes, and that keep us separate from our natural wholeness and well-being – which is our human birthright. And when we inhabit that wholeness, our conception of past, present and future gives way to living in and for the moment – an ultimately emergent, creative and unbound being – the glorious heart of relationship. From here, life is no longer a series of obstacles to overcome, or traumas to heal, or goals to achieve, or people or things to possess. It is instead a grand experiment, with new learning and growth available around every mysterious corner – serious play at the intersection of the infinite and eternal that expresses itself uniquely in each and every human.
One of the most important parts of this play is the recognition of relationship as a spiritual practice. It is in the opportunity and challenge of navigating an ever-more intimate and vulnerable connection with others that we come up against the inner obstacles to deeper connection, and have the opportunity to identify the stories and habits that reinforce our sense of separateness and the pain and confusion it causes – I’ve written a little bit more about that here – and it’s really what connects of all of what you will find on this site.
A full listing of all the content available is here and in the menus above and below.
I hope you find what I’ve done here meaningful!
I currently serve on the board of the Transformative Learning Foundation and am an active community member there.
With love,
Albee Kara