Author Michael Arkin is a former Independent State Hearing Officer who was appointed to hear and determine contested cases between school districts and parents as part of the Special Education Hearing Office in Sacramento, California. A former United States Department of Justice trial attorney in Washington, D.C., he engaged in a private law practice, first in Southern California and later in the Mother Lode country of which he writes.

There are some pretty awesome Bigs with some equally wonderful Littles. Plus, there are fantastic staff members who recruit, train, screen, pair, and assist them. Then, there are the dedicated volunteers and donors who support all of them in so many essential ways. Fortunately, there is the committed and energetic Sarah Rudd-Lawlor who encourages, inspires, and manages everyone.

I took a speech class at City College when I was in my 40’s. All the students in the class appeared to be in their teens or early twenties. I wanted to tell a funny story, but wasn’t sure if what I saw as funny would connect with these young people and make them laugh. Appreciation of humor seems so generational.

A friend of mine wrote to me this morning and started the email out with, “Long time no news!” This is the same friend who encouraged me over a month ago to continue to write even during the times that I’m less than motivated to do so. My life has been a whirlwind since the New Year began, and inspiration to write has been few and far between.

I am sitting quite still and contemplating an elegant white calla lily that is sharing a vase with some other flowers on the table in front of me. Over the past several days it has begun to slowly relax its tight green and white scroll, which still conceals the glowing yellow rod at its center. I am mesmerized by the lights and shadows created by its sensuous folds and the complexity of its network of fine veins.

My sister Ginny introduced me to wabi sabi, the Japanese tradition that values the beauty of imperfection. My sister smiled and said, “Now when we look in the mirror, we can say, ‘Wabi sabi!’” Wabi suggests rustic simplicity and sabi the beauty that comes with age. With origins in ancient Chinese Tao and Buddhism, wabi sabi shaped Japanese culture in the late 1400’s when Murata Shuko, a Zen priest, changed the traditional tea service from gold and jade to simple wood and clay.

In many spiritual treatises, mostly written A few times a week while walking to my favorite café, I have the privilege of crossing paths with someone who resembles a wise Native American elder. This woman possesses the look of infinite peace within her eyes and face. When I ask her, “How are you today?” she always smiles serenely and replies, “I’m going with the flow.” “Going with the flow, hmmm…” This is something that is difficult for some of us because there are times when we struggle maintaining our peace of mind, keeping our balance, and feeling connected to our higher selves.

We all dream of having loving, attached, and self-confident children. A child who has had their needs met on a consistent and loving basis has these traits. Attachment parents work to see this dream realized as they watch their children grow. Breastfeeding our babies, sleeping with or near them, carrying them on our bodies, meeting their needs as soon as they arise, and later using the principles of positive discipline are all crucial in the practice of attachment parenting.

With the great gap that still exists between the top level CEO’s and company employees, with the huge amount of conglomerates, and with the wage gap between men and women still in effect, I suggest that more women in the workplace does not necessarily translate into high-paying jobs or equality. More women in the workplace may also be reflecting aspects of the difficult economic times we are in. I am grateful for, and don’t deny, the progress that has been made, but there is still much to be done.

We have been told that advancing years are a time of ever fuzzier thinking and brain deterioration over which we have no control. On the contrary, neuroscientists have discovered that even though the brain’s decreasing number of brain cells causes it to lose between five and ten percent of its weight by the time we are ninety, the brain can build more connections that help it to work better as it ages, and even grow new cells in certain areas. It turns out that aging can give us a better ability to replace negative emotions with positive ones, the resulting emotional stability forming the basis of wisdom.