Day 2 AM: Ferrying to Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

The world is abundant and I have an analogy to share about this. As a vegan, I experience so much opening that I don't see with most of my omnivore friends who stick with what they know. I'm not sure if I'm representative of most, but my diet as a vegan is so colorful and full of choice. I am conscientious about my plate being a colorful palette rich with protein, vitamins and nutrients. I have explored all the starfish, avocados, and cashew and pea protein cheeses. It's not just a meat and potatoes world for me, but a whole other life-affirming ecosystem.

Same with being "all in" in the transgender world. There's so much opening up, grounding in abundant sense of self, conscientious discernment, and so many opportunities for connection and getting deep - intimacy - with people. Also, so much fun. To me, this is the meaning of life. How can we each be our unique, authentic, emergent self, and still retain our secure belonging with others - with parents, friends, and community? Do we want to have a stopping point because we limit ourselves to the gender binary? Or, can we envision going beyond the meat and potatoes of gender to the 3,000,000 colors on the palette of what it means to be human?

What comes to me now is that Dale Chihuly talks about waking up one day with a desire to use all 300 of his German colored glass chips. What resulted is his Macchias collection. His mother had suggested the collection be called "the uglies," because she didn't like the color.

Chihuly in his video told us, "Well, that wouldn't be a good name for an exhibit," so he called his Italian friend who suggested these spotted pieces be called "Macchias," for the Italian word for "spots." Thus, bold beauty was

born.

Macchias give us the lesson that with one's vision of expansion, we can, indeed, achieve using all the colors of the proverbial palette. Hearing the voice who doesn't enjoy what we do is a great springboard from which to begin. Like after Chihuly heard his mom, he went beyond what she offered to find his way toward a fantastic embrace of his vision. And these beautiful gifts endure now for the whole world.

Like Chihuly's 300 colors of glass have found their place in the world, like embracing vegan food diversity, my shoulders wiggle back and forth a bit with joy when I imagine the unfolding that's possible when we open to gender expansiveness.

How am I doing with my analogy? Do you feel any resonance with it as you read? Maybe you have some questions, because it's a little bewildering? Is it like seeing flowers in the cracks on the sidewalk after the day's flower seller has departed?

Or maybe you feel like you'd like the day's trash put into the rubbish bin nearby?

I'd love to hear from you, dear reader. Hugs from Canada.

Brought to you with fun and inspiration, after I met my new friend on the boat to Canada, a doctor working with - coincidentally (or not) - gender development. She talked about my analogy with me, and although it from me, it was our interconnection that gave me voice for freshness. Thank you!