I’ve mused before about how wonderfully basic life is when on a river trip. You pile up your watercraft with gear; the basics, the indulgences, the makings for a magical fire under the fading canyon light.

My dear friend Josh loves to push off that boat ramp in our collective mind. He did so last Sunday as we floated on our trusty vessel The Clinic seeking out recently stocked monster “brooder” trout in a reservoir that should still be iced over.

As we lazed in the wildly warm Super Bowl Sunday Sun, Josh spoke of drifting through the first bucket and beyond that greasy tail out. Further along there the river takes a big easy bend to the right and the canyon walls surround you in am embrace of simplicity – protecting you from the typical nuances of life. Things gets basic.

You focus on things you love. Floating down a river. Chasing fish. The friendships. The shared passions. You get dumbfounded by the wonders of nature that make it all possible.

You really watch that sun set. You feel the kiss of winters breath when the last warmth of late autumn sun slips above the rim wall.

You taste that coffee alongside the run where you caught that one fish. The first glow of canyon light catching on the steam from your mug.

Extraordinarily. Basic.

Today marks the beginning of my forty-fifth year on Earth. And typically these birth milestones cause me to enter an unhealthy process of critiquing how I am doing in life. My job, my goals, my fitness. Blah. Instead of doing something that seemed very unkind like a self evaluation – I’m keeping today basic.

This past year I’ve returned to the basics. Doubled down on love. And sprinkled a little magic to be safe.

I shine on the things I love. I visit the river, or some water every day. I have radically embraced kindness for myself, so I can better love my family. I am amazed by my daughters, and I tell them often.

I have discovered a shared passion with Becky ❤️ in education. I simply could not have gotten through this past year without her. I will never forget that one hug where she picked up the pieces of me and reminded me the most important “basic” in life is Love. Love is that little magic I try to sprinkle on everything I do.

I still am dumbfounded by nature on a daily basis.

I bask in the glow of the sunrise. I have already smelled spring on the warm February afternoons. I kindly told spring to piss off though, we need more snow.

I glow in the taste of my coffee, while driving in Marty with Kaydee – heading to that one classroom, where some kids violated school policy the other day cuz they just had to show me a picture on Instagram of that one fish. 😂

I shine alongside Becky by the river. Sharing stories and cherishing memories. I feel my admiration for her grow every day in the glow of the light, along the river.

Extraordinarily. Amazingly. Freaking. Awesome. Basic.

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Thank you to everyone else who reads this who’s helped add some magic to my past year. The experience and transformation has been fun, and dumbfounding. But basic. 😏

I’ve been writing a bit about my teaching experiences on my substitute teaching website. But after a couple false starts on this post here, It feels really nice to be sharing some thoughts on life here again.

I hope you are well friends. I’m keen to say howdy anytime. Maybe I’ll setup a calendly thing. But for now, gonna keep it basic, a 🔑 to kindness.