up early to catch the prime surf, the four of us head over to the nearby cafe for a quick bite. we order our usual, local black coffee, mexican eggs, beans, warm corn tortillas and a healthy side of avocado. drinking down our last few sips of the hot coffee i ask my brother the top 5 things he’s learned during his first 40 years of life.
the four of us have spent the last few days surfing in Todos Santos, Mexico for my older bro Rances 40th birthday. incredible times spent in the crisp cool blue waters riding wave after wave with my brother and two great friends, Ryan Cox & Russell Louis.
each day an early start we hit the beach, wax the boards, warm up with some stretching and plung into the Pacifics refreshing salty waters. the waves crashing overhead as we paddle out, smiling ear to ear knowing the play that awaits. the warm sun and blue sky shining down their pleasure as our boards cut through the crystal white waves.
around 1pm we break for lunch driving to a new discovery of local organic food. all of us shocked by the care and diversity of the towns cuisine. laughs and recapping memories of face plants and good surf we hustle over for afternoon coffees then back to the beach until sunset. the colors of each sunset, the rich oranges & pinks painted across the backdrop purples and blues fill the mind with life’s infinite abundance.
covered in the days salt water and white beach sand we head back out onto the streets of Todos Santos in pursuit of a quality spot for evening eats. again the options overwhelming for such a sleepy surf town.
it’s been a monumental weekend to mark the significant pivot in my brothers life. so when i ask him the top 5 things he’s learned during his first 40 years of life we all laugh when he responds, “man i’m about to have a panic attack thinking about this shit.” his mind rests into the question followed by his list,
– don’t compromise yourself and don’t follow others.
– live your path with integrity.
– play often and enjoy life
– respect is key (quoting our grandmother who said this is of utmost importance)
– smile often at others as it does all kinds of good for your mind and you never know the gift it gives to others (again giving mad props to our grandmother for this one as well)
– do what you say you’re going to do (props to our old man who told us time and time again if we did this simple thing we would go far in life…he was right)
the three of us chime in sharing stories of how we have experienced these attributes in my brother and affirming the importance each lesson holds. finishing our coffees we smile at the simplicity of the moment, not wanting it to end and breathing in the wonders of life, the opportunities it continues to grant us to discover, to play and surf our way through. even more we smile as we know how fortunate we are to share the moment.
big love,
Z
ubuntu 
Your words are inspiring and touching. Thanks for sharing. Love from Germany, Sophia
Thanks for the kind words Sophia. Big love!