Time Stood Still

Editor’s note: Carmen was part of the program committee.

It was a beautiful summer day in Albuquerque; the temperature was in the 90s, which was normal for July. T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) teachers from everywhere had begun arriving two days prior, eager to be with one another. We had not had an in-person conference since before COVID. This was our 50th year of TCC and we all knew that it would be amazing. Of course, Guy Kent, the President of the TCC Association, answered the call when we were asked to host this special conference by Sandy McAlister. April Leffler, one of our teacher trainers, said that from the moment she arrived at our hotel, the Marriot Pyramid, she could feel the Chi. So could we. As they say, “The Force was with us.”

This was not just an Albuquerque event. It was TCC at its best. The other part of planning came from TCC teachers everywhere who heard and answered the call. They gave the planning committee their very best so that the caring, concern, and inclusion could be felt by all. Heading up this larger picture was Jim Maple, whose favorite phrase was, “We can do it.”

The result? There was only “One Thing Going On.” Our Love. The belief in the Highest Good resulted in the connection that everyone felt from the moment they knew that we would be meeting in person. Justin loved our conferences because he knew we would be sharing the greatest thing that we have to share, the Chi itself. This conference was the wonderful expression of that connection. Open the program anywhere and follow the flow of the Chi. Each offering gives us a wealth of information not just about the Chi — but of the flow that we live daily, that connects us and teaches us about respect, love, caring, and joy. Life is meant to be connections that make life worth living. The rededication ceremony that Judy Hendricks created invited us to not only feel the Chi during the conference, but in every moment of our lives, shared and lived in joy.