Radiant energy fills me each time I think back to 1979 – my first year at U.Va. I remember walking between classes and turning the corner onto the lawn and being face to face with this fellow. The uplifting peace I felt as he paused, and we looked deep into each others’ eyes remains with me. It was surely a very brief look, but it somehow felt like much time passed in that look. We then both smiled and nodded and moved on. It felt like we were recognizing each other as old friends as we peered into each other’s souls.

It even seemed like we could see past each other’s childhoods to past lives. I had never really considered the possibility of past lives. I remember that moving experience as though it was yesterday.   Each day I am thankful that I have been blessed by encountering and recognizing so many kindred spirits. It serves as an inspiration to touch those I encounter such that I might leave them with a bit more light to share further.  

I only discovered the next day that I encountered the Dalai Lama when I saw the image below. That brief yet profound connection inspired me to begin a journey of connection and radiant energy. Over time, I learned what a tremendous person this was that I had experienced. Some 30 years later I attended a limited fund-raiser where he was present again. While his laugh was still there and the positive energy radiated strongly, I also perceived a weight of sadness that had perhaps come through the decades of seeing things.