THE WISHING STONE

When we were just sandy little Groms, our mom told us that if we found a rock on the beach with a stripe that wrapped all the way around it, unbroken, we could throw it into the sea and make a wish.

She told us these rocks are very special and they are called "Wishing Stones".

I found this perfect Wishing Stone on the beach in Malibu today and all at once realized that, since mom passed suddenly over 10 years ago, I've rarely tossed a single "Wisher" as she called them, back into the sea.

I've found some beauties, but I guess I've been hoarding my Wishers... perhaps out of fear that if I let them go, I won't find another one as beautiful and unique, ever again.

I remember that, as kids, we never had thoughts like that and yet Wishers, beauty, and wonder presented themselves in abundance.

This has proven to be a very poignant and timely metaphor in my life.

Today I gave this beauty back to the sea and made the greatest wish ever!

Here's to never losing the best of what we were as kids... And to all the amazing moms out there who loved us unconditionally and did their best to make our childhoods magical even when their lives were, no doubt, full of struggles.

We miss you, Mom.  Thank you so, so much... for everything.

 SNAPPY THE SEAL

Mom & Dad were always rescuing wildlife and Snappy was one of our favorites!  He was a baby harbor seal and he got his name from his reputation for snapping at our grubby little fingers!

I think my brother (center) had just gotten SNAPPED before this photo was taken (haha!) check out his face!

We created a special, sandy pen for Snappy - complete with an old claw-foot tub sunk into the sand for when he felt like splashing around a little.

I remember feeding him fresh mackerel from the local bait store and dad making trips back & forth to Marine Land (which used to be located about an hour’s drive away in Palos Verdes) to learn about how to care for him and pick up whatever medicines the experts advised.

In the end, Snappy was returned to the sea and he swam away healthy & happy.

MISSION LOBSTER FREEDOM!

Our Beloved Mother, Karleen (AKA Mama Kardy, AKA Dama), who passed away in 2005, was truly an inspiration and example for us all and I will forever be proud of the amazing, compassionate & truly brilliant woman she was. 

She was never afraid to do what she felt was right - even when others ridiculed her or just thought she was a little bit kooky - she always spoke her mind and she took shit from no one.

As an incredibly intelligent, spiritual, and empathic person, she was invited to join Mensa and I believe she was, at her core, truly meant to be an artist.

Being a single mom in the 70’s raising three kids pretty much on her own, she had to find a flexible way to make ends meet and did so as a Realtor working primarily in the Pacific Palisades & Malibu.

Whenever Mom was at an open house or showing clients a home with a swimming pool, she would always check the pool to make sure no bees or other unfortunate insects were drowning.  When co-workers saw this, they would giggle and, I'm guessing, tell their friends about it later for a good chuckle.

It was definitely a surprise when, after she passed, some of those same co-workers shared with me how her deep compassion had affected them and their thinking forever.

There are lots of stories like this about our Beloved Dama. One of my favorites to tell is the one about the last two lobsters… so here ya go:

You know how some supermarkets have those clear tanks full of saltwater & live lobsters?  Those poor guys are just left to sit in there with their claws disabled just waiting for some human to pick them out and take them home to be dropped, alive, into a pot of boiling water. 

Our local store had sold all but two... and they sat in there, day after day, probably starving to death & waiting to die.

Mama Kardy couldn't stand to see that and she asked me to help her rescue them. So we got ourselves a bucket and marched into the market. 

As soon as we had them in our bucket and got through the checkout line, we took them as quickly as we could to the sea - a rocky tide pool area in Malibu.

We carefully removed the heavy rubber bands that bound their claws shut and gave them a moment to realize they were working again.

Then it was time to set them free and Mom asked me to carry them out through the tide pools and beyond the small waves crashing on the rocks. 

I explained (again) that they were Atlantic lobsters and I was pretty certain that they would not survive long, if at all, in the Pacific Ocean - especially in their greatly weakened state. 

She replied, with confidence, that the moment of freedom they would experience - no matter how brief - would be more than worth it. The beauty & truth of that simple statement still moves my heart to this day.

So I did as she asked and carried them out as far as I could and I released them back into the sea while mom watched & cheered me on from the beach.

Some of Mom's co-workers had heard about what we'd been up to and the next day when she went to work they had a beautiful cake waiting for her with 2 lobsters drawn in the frosting along with the simple words THANK YOU!

I know the selfless love & compassion in her actions on that day, and so many others like it, will continue to radiate out into the universe forever.

She always told us kids that it was very important to her to help end pain and suffering and to make a difference in the world…

You did it, Mom! 

We love & miss you tremendously.