Have you ever stumbled upon just the right quotation at exactly the right time? If so, you know this treasured experience. It's one of my favorites. Opening a tea bag to reveal the cute little quotation, typed gently onto a crisp little paper flag at the end of a string. Last week I found several… Continue reading Quotations are Magic — the Spark of a Connection with Ourselves

Sending some heartfelt love to you today. A few months ago in meditation I received the message... Be the love. I remembered the quotation from Gandhi... "Be the change you wish to see in the world." And it occurred to me that we often think of this in terms of action. (Which is equally as… Continue reading Happy Valentine’s Day!

As I stood in the yard with my sweet little Dino dog this morning, we wandered over to a different part of the yard--a spot we haven't spent time in for awhile. And I got a new perspective. As I looked up at a most magnificent tree in the far corner, by the fence... I… Continue reading When you just need a little extra space.

Much to Dino's dismay, a bee flew into the living room today. I pulled the nearby door wide open, all but putting up flares for guidance, but it could not find its way out.  It was fixated on getting through the window with a tree just on the other side. It slammed its tough little… Continue reading The determined little bee.

I don't remember exactly what the instructor said on the phone.  I believe it was something related to teaching because I found myself filled with such resentment for the way teaching, as a profession, is viewed that I hung up the phone and began to cry.  I'm too young to be this cynical, I thought.  I… Continue reading A new kind of joy.

Soft pink with delicate purple, and layers of periwinkle fill the sky. I watch as the sun rises, my body steady--sitting on a step at the center of the hostel grounds. I can feel the cool concrete underneath my legs. The sunlight warming my face. I spread manjar (also known as dulce de leche) on… Continue reading My place of peace.

Hello, I'm so glad to have you as part of this circle where I share a little something each week or so!  If you're new here, welcome! How treating life lessons like Tootsie Roll Pops can help make your life a little sweeter: Life lessons are not items to be completed or crossed off a list.  This is decidedly… Continue reading Life lessons are like Tootsie Roll Pops.

I love to dance. And for a year and a half now, I have not been able to. So Lee Ann Womack's song that goes, "And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance," even as just a metaphor for life, somewhat breaks my heart.  That's because physically, I've been doing… Continue reading I hope you dance.

Reflections on the practice of self-compassion. I start to feel the pressure in my forehead mount, as the pain in my neck expands, and the surge of dizziness becomes stronger.  I've been on a roll washing some dishes in the kitchen sink but now my body calls out to me with a quiet intensity, asking… Continue reading What is the kindest thing?

It was the first Christmas that my dad would not be with us.  He wouldn’t be there to make us laugh with goofy stories and facial expressions.  He wouldn’t be there to blink in irritation as travel plans went awry.  He wouldn’t be there to help me design my annual gingerbread house.  And he wouldn’t… Continue reading The Christmas letter.