December 31, 2023- The last day of the Gregorian calendar year brought my late parents-in-law together in matrimony, in 1948. That union brought Penny into this world, led me to the Baha’i Faith, made possible our marriage and the birth of our son, who has grown into a strong, well-grounded man. It has made possible my faith-based travels and activities here at Home Base. Although she is also gone now, Penny’s spirit and those of my other departed loved ones guide me to a higher level of action.

Nearly forty-three years after embracing the Teachings of Baha’u’llah, I was honoured to host a Spiritual Feast, last night, at which those present engaged in a fulsome consultation, which is the core purpose, along with devotions and fellowship, of the event. It was one of the best consultations in which I’ve ever participated. It signified the spirit of this past year, which was all about internal reflection and personal refinement.

Now, I look back at these past twelve months, and the overall trends and themes of its passage. Essentially, taking an attitude of self-confidence, I accepted a managerial role with the Red Cross, and thanks to a fine team, was able to help over eighty evacuees during a flood response, in Santa Cruz County, CA, in April. Working through those challenges, and overcoming hostility from a local business owner, led to what was, overall, a successful relief effort. I feel confident that I could replicate this effort, should the need arise again.

In July, a simple visit to a long-isolated fellow Baha’i brought her back into activity in her community. This, in turn, seems to be regenerating that community’s activities, as well as her own once-flagging self-confidence. It is what we can do for one another, and will result in a much stronger human race, “one brick at a time”. 

Here in Home Base 1, encouraging young people in their efforts has been a key focus of time and energy. Whether in classrooms, at the Farmers Market or in private conversations with a single mother, who is like a daughter to me, and taking a stand on her behalf, the fostering of rising generations has been probably the most rewarding of efforts. Being able to rise above, and resolve, other instances in which miscommunication has resulted in estrangement, has also been a reward of this past year.

My mother’s milestone birthday, this past September, while reminding me of the difficulty I have in communicating with her, long distance, also reflected the deeper bond between us, which transcends face-to-face meetings. She is still one of the seminal influences on my life.

The first extended travel outside the United States, in nearly ten years, brought some wondrous people into my life-one in particular. My Philippines experience has also imparted the confidence that I lacked, when visiting Europe in 2014, and has strengthened my voice, for what lies ahead-both on the return to that country, in September and visits to six other nations, across another ocean, later that month and nearly to November. That these are all Faith-based journeys does not negate my sense of personal responsibility, in their execution. In fact, living the Baha’i life entails, in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, “walking the mystical path with practical feet.”

So does 2023 enter the realm of history, having already done so,in nearly half the world, and ready to do so, within the next thirteen hours, across the rest of Planet Earth. I am grateful for the personal lessons it has brought, am chastened by the physical and emotional destruction that nationalism, greed and fear have wrought, both in the U.S. and across over a dozen countries around the world and I am ready to work, as hard as necessary, to bring about a lasting peace, wherever 2024 takes me.