How very important it is, in life, to call out “woo woo!” and receive a response
On the simplicity of meditation...
In September, I passed through the Bay Area on my way home to Oregon. I took my dogs to our old stomping ground, Redwood Regional Park. In an overdeveloped urban landscape, Redwood Regional offers a small slice of paradise.
The trail slopes down into a dark, cool grove of giant redwoods with a small creek rushing past round boulders and ferns before ascending to a sunny exposed ridge.
On this particular day, as I reached the top, I came upon a family: two grandparents, a toddler just learning to walk, and a young mother. Each grandparent held one tiny hand, guiding the young boy’s very tentative steps. Occasionally his little body would crumple and collapse on the trail. Both grandparents would then hoist him up: keep trying.
At one point the little boy noticed my terrier, Bodhi, and exclaimed “wooo woo!”
All three adults turned immediately to face the toddler. They responded with an enthusiastic “wooo woo!”
He smiled, said it again, and a joyful call and response ensued.
I walked along past their happy sounds, as this intergenerational, deep and meaningful monosyllabic conversation continued to unfold on the trail. The family’s beautiful display swept me off my feet, reminding me of humanity’s capacity to be good, to be so good.
I also understood on some deeper level how very important it is, in life, to call out “wooo woo!” and receive a response.
This child would begin with a foundation of love. Three people found great joy in celebrating his simple existence.
May all beings know this love, and may examples of everyday beauty such as these continue to arise and flourish.
I wanted to share this story because when we practice meditation, we are engaging in a practice to embody love and compassion. Deep down, we all have this capacity. It is so simple. Yet, many of us can try so hard, too hard. We can get stuck on a self-improvement path—following complicated instructions, striving for transformation, or undertaking spiritual ‘projects.’
Paradoxically, through the effort of mediation practice we can discover that we are fundamentally okay just as we are.
Some days are harder than others. On those days, I am so grateful when the world shows me examples.