Healing Heroes

By Lisa Duncan

With the soft morning sun casting golden ribbons across the sea, family, friends, and fellow servicemen gathered on the sand beside the Santa Barbara Yacht Club this week to honor retiring U.S. Coast Guard officer Julian Bell – and what unfolded was far more than a military ceremony. It became a moving meditation on fatherhood, courage, service and the quiet emotional strength so often carried by men.

The ceremony opened with a haunting sound bowl meditation led by Los Angeles healer Chris Christopherson, founder of the Conscious Man Community, whose work creates safe spaces for men to heal and reconnect emotionally. Christopherson described his work as helping men “turn life’s open wounds into something meaningful.”

Amid sailboats and rolling waves, Bell stood surrounded by shipmates, mentors, leaders, family, and friends as stories of honor and humanity filled the ocean air.

There was pride, certainly. But there were tears.

The ceremony celebrated not simply a decorated career, but a man willing to transform pain into purpose. Bell co-founded Safe Waters, a nonprofit organization assisting Coast Guard members who have experienced sexual assault within the service. Coming to this work through personal experience, Bell has dedicated himself to advocacy, emotional support, and helping survivors heal. The organization has already helped 72 military members.

In one especially moving moment, Bell turned directly to thank his two young sons seated in front of him and softly said, “Thank you for supporting and trusting me. I will always take care of you.”

At the closing sound bath, Christopherson spoke gently to the family as well, encouraging them to always “acknowledge the beauty of your emotions.”

As the ceremony concluded beside the shimmering Pacific, embraces lingered long after the applause ended.

Some ceremonies salute rank. This one honored the beauty in men’s hearts. Well done, mate.

Sightings 

Katy Perry fresh off the announcement, our pop princess will headline the United States opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium on June 12. One imagines there will be fireworks, frocks, and enough glitter to send West Hollywood into orbit.

Sabrina Carpenter brought a touch of old-Hollywood seduction to our very own Coast Village Road on Mother’s Day, slipping into a chic steakhouse in a slinky satin spaghetti-strap number with skyscraper stilettos, and enough flirtatious curls framing her face to make half the dining room forget their filet mignon. One suspects hearts melted faster than the butter on the brown bread rolls basket.

Jacob Elordi appears to be recovering in Riviera style. The towering Hollywood heartthrob was spotted departing Caruso’s on crutches this week, following reports of a foot injury that forced his withdrawal from Cannes Film Festival festivities. Waiting inside the car? A mysterious brunette whose silhouette and flowing locks looked awfully familiar to fans of Kendall Jenner. Riviera romance rumors? Trés discreet.

Justin Bieber spent Mother’s Day entirely devoted to wife Hailey Bieber and their young son, Jack Blues, beginning with a family breakfast before serenading Hailey later in the evening with a surprise live mariachi band at sunset. The couple then slipped away to Nobu Malibu, proving once again that even global pop royalty occasionally prefers romance with a side of miso cod.

From Richard and Friends to all of you…Pip! Pip!