I am sitting in the big bay window at the water’s edge in the Sylvia Hotel. C.C. sleeps in our room above while I, ever the morning lark, have arisen early for a walk along the beach and now a latte in the hotel restaurant.

We have come to Vancouver this weekend to celebrate — JM, Alexis’ partner, was called, and admitted, to the BC Bar on Friday and Alexis just got her dream job at Lululemon. It seemed as good a reason as any to come to this special place at the edge of the continent, especially when it was pouring cats and dogs in Calgary when we left and here, the weather has been picture perfect for most of the trip.

I love this city. I love the mountains crowding up against the shore, the tall buildings shiny with glass, the greenness of the trees hugging the shoreline and the flowers cascading everywhere. I love that everything is within walking distance, and if it’s not, there’s always the Aquabus to ferry you to the other side of the water, or a bus or a Skytrain or a cab to take you where you want to go. And then, there are the people. This is an outdoor city, a walk the streets and sit at sidewalk cafes and along the Seawall and ride your bike along the path kind of city. An it’s green. Very, very green right up to the place where the green grass and maple trees meet the water’s blue lapping at the shore.

We’ve done a lot of celebrating this weekend. Thursday night dinner with JM and Alexis at the Cactus Club at English Bay. An evening spent overlooking the water, the sun setting to the west, the seagulls squawking on the beach as joggers and walkers and tourists passed by. A bottle of bubbly to toast these two young people whose lives are opening up to all that is possible when they fearlessly breathe into their dreams and allow.

Allow miracles to happen.
Allow greatness to to be the expression of life.
Allow the other side of itheir comfort zones.

For JM, Friday’s celebration was a culmination of years of study and hard work. Two undergrad degrees, a few mis-directed steps until realization awoke that to be the man he wants to be, he must claim his right to be the greatness of his human being.

For Alexis, it’s been a journey of tempting fate upon the stage only to discover her dreams do not live in the acting out other people’s stories but in creating her own, in being her own magnificent self.

It has been fun to spend the time in the presence of Alexis, JM and their friends. From the luncheon sponsored by JMs law firm on Friday to the evening on the upper deck of the Keg in Yaletown, youth and vitality, dreams and possibilities surrounded us. There is something so very reassuring when surrounded by ‘the next generation’ to hear their stories of what they can and are, what they will and must do to create a world of difference.

And create it they will. Making it happen – they are.

As the waiter who served us on Thursday night commented when we were celebrating Alexis and JMs successes, “The power couple”.

They are powerful these young people. Powerful in their capacity to see into themselves, and to see the role they play in being the change they want to see in the world.

I’m sitting at the edge of the continent, looking out at the future, and it excites me. The ocean of life spreads out before me and I see all that is possible when I let go of holding onto land and set myself free to swim in the wonder and awe of the world around me.

Namaste.