I visited a friend today for the first time several months after she had brain surgery in an effort to attack her cancer. The surgery was a last ditch effort after several doses of radiation had failed to kill the growing tumor. As I sat with this once amazingly vivacious, vibrant woman as she struggled with slowly measured speech and basic things like bringing food to her mouth, and remembering if the man across from her that she has been married to for over 30 years is her husband, I thought "what if this too won''t pass?"

The woman I know and love is still here but also gone with only further decline the likely progress. I strived to recall the lessons of enlightened living by Eckhart Tolle as I sat beside her on the porch, handing her shrimp I first dipped in cocktail sauce – - extending my cupped hand for the tails when she was done. "Where do I find the comfort and inner peace in any of this," I thought. How do you cope when the damage is permanent and this too won''t pass?!

Minutes later, as if it came on the breeze, I felt joy. I was enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon with my friend who was smiling back at me - we were both …simply happy the other was there. The sad moment had passed...but by the time I got in my car to leave tears were welling in my eyes, the happy moment had passed too.

As I drove home I replayed our time together in my head. It brought my smile back.

The lessons of enlightened living truly are all around us.