Love and Music Electric Ignite 2010...

I waited until noon before opening the case. The first day of the year had to be celebrated in an auspicious way and now was the time to begin. I had borrowed back the Fender amplifier from a friend and tenderly pulled Narayan's beloved “Squier Stratocater” out of its case. I stared back at my acoustic guitar and smiled. Although the acoustic had also been his and though I know he loved me, the Stratocaster was his true baby. He had taken her apart and meticulously rebuilt her. The smooth electric sound had permeated our years together. When Narayan passed on I was not attached to playing this guitar at all. There was something in its sound that made me frustrated and sad. I kept her close knowing that someday I would know what to do with her. Now somehow on this first day of the New Year, I felt the desire to feel the electric waves again. Plugging in the guitar and turning on the amp made a familiar “Ping” sound and I felt excited to start. It all felt so effortless. My fingers poured over the strings and my heart began to soar. Song after song, I could feel us together, while the six strings felt like waves of water. We danced in our love of music. I played the strings so gently and the smoothness of the sound put me in a trance. Oh how Narayan loved to play. He was the one who first really encouraged me to sing. He was the one who inspired me to create music in the name of Joy and Upliftment. And so for many hours of the first day of the year, I celebrated this music from the heart. I celebrated a most amazing man and I celebrated myself knowing that this year will unravel in all majesty and beauty filled with more awareness of Love and Oneness than I have ever known. This digital art is to honor and remember the wonder of Narayan and his continuous powerful presence in my life.

While writing this post today, i realize that Narayan was actually inclined to play left handed as a young boy. His mother had a guitar and one day he decided to take all the strings off and reverse them so it would be easier for him to manoever his fingers. She insisted that he put the string "the right way" again and so he learned to play right handed. Now the interesting thing about this is that we often wondered if his playing would have been different and should one actually be discouraged from playing the way that "feels" right. After all these years I feel so grateful that he did play right handed because being able to play his guitars after he left this world means everything to me. His heart still vibrates in the strings. Today I even thought that there must still be sweat somehow on the strings. Is that crazy? Love just does not make sense at all. Narayan is still with me every day and today I felt a little closer to his love in this electric sound.

I want to remember this day as a beginning, commemorate it and keep the momentum going this whole year. Narayan was one of the most courageous people I have ever met. His legacy in my heart lives on. I remember the love song he wrote for me on his stratocaster years ago:

"We belong together

Time for you and me

Sail the seas forever

Two as One but free..."

I still love you so much Narayan. You still make my life so beautiful. I feel so grateful for that.