Stuck in the Middle

by Jim Dickens January 2026

I learned on my recent trip to Bhutan that some Himalayan Buddhists practice thinking about death 3 times a day.  It helps you live a better life.  I imagine it helps prioritize what you do and how you appreciate.  It felt true as 10 old friends headed to San Jose del Cabo to warm our bones in January.

Recently one of those friends was put in palliative care because of her cancer.  She is in pain and her mobility is limited. The large and difficult effort she made was inspirational.  And we were grateful she came.  It made the trip better.  It seemed we listened better and had more care in what we did and how we treated each other.  It made me think about what if we acted this way outside the circumstance.

Lori and I extended our trip to see our brand new grand daughter, our son and daughter in law.  They are going through a steep learning on how to be mother and father and child.   I loved that they seemed to be making it a beautiful experience.  Again we were grateful and inspired.

You can get stuck in the middle thinking life just keeps going on forever and forget your priorities.  This trip was a marvelous way to be reminded.