When I look back on this summer one of my favorite most magical moments was when I attended the Art of Receiving workshop at Burning Man. Yes, I was surprised too. There are workshops at Burning Man. Hundreds of them. From improv, dance classes, yoga, Irish Pub sing alongs, felting...

So I'm at this workshop and at one point the facilitators have us think about something that is present for us and to stare at your partner (Mikey, who I met moments before) as you let all of these thoughts and feelings move through you and for your partner to intuit what you need to receive in this moment and convey it to you with one word. I stare into this stranger's blue eyes and I think about all my deep desire for partnership, for romance, sex, tenderness, for sharing my life, my heart, for wanting this part of my life to be alive, engaged and present and this painful yearning in my soul for my man.

Mikey asks if he can take my hand between his. I say yes. He takes my right hand and places it in between both of his, looks me in the eye and says "Hope."

And I receive it. I feel my heart soften, the tears start to form. I feel the comfort and warmth of his hands holding mine.

He says it again. "Hope".

The tears start streaming down my face, I lower my head. He leans his forehead against mine. "Hope." We stay like this for a minute: my tears flowing, this stranger holding my hand, his forehead gently pressed against mine. And I receive it, I feel it moving through me and helping alchemize all the disappointment, the pain, the leather ties across my heart, the loss of faith. I feel renewed, restored, soft, tender and full of hope.

What an incredible gift to receive.

It's two days later- the infusion of hope still running through my system. I'm sitting on a bench and a man walks over to see if I'm okay. And it's there. Organic, easy connection. Attraction, curiosity. We watch the burning of the man from the top of his RV. We talk, we kiss, there is passion, there is playfulness. We walk through Burning Man receiving a chocolate mint cupcake (my favorite), jumping in the inflatable bouncy house, kissing, caressing, dancing. Receiving and living life infused with magic and hope.

So thank you Mikey. Whoever you are and wherever you are for your much needed, perfectly timed infusion of hope. Thank you for opening my heart to magic, possibility and believing again. And for those of you reading this who need an infusion of hope. I take your hand in between mine. I look you in the eyes and powerfully, gently, full of love and belief share the energy of hope.