ADRIFT BUT NEVER LOST: Saw a piece on DATELINE last night about a father and his two young sons who capsized their boat on a fishing trip and survived a fairly major ordeal adrift at sea.

The two boys managed to grab onto a light post with the help of their father, and they clung there until a boat miraculously happened by and picked them up.

The father, on the other hand, couldn't make it up the light post on his own and, sensing the futility of simply floundering in the cold water, made a desperate bid to float/swim his way to an island way off in the distance. (I can't imagine how hard it must have been to leave his boys!)

Nearly 24 hours later he was found miles away from his sons, not to mention miles away from the island he thought he could get to. According to computer models, he survived out there longer than he should have--given his age, the water temperature, and the fact that he had a collapsed lung from a previous car accident.

It was a gripping tale, but my favorite part by far came when the father was asked about how he managed to keep his cool out there, how he managed to keep faith that he would be rescued.

"You're either motivated by love or fear," the father said. "And I chose love."

Goddamn right. That's it! I've written before (and talked at length to friends) about my idea that peace comes when you can reduce your life into a single choice in a single moment, with the question "what is the most graceful choice you can make in the present circumstances" as your guide.

This dad said it way more succinctly!