In my dream the other night I was waiting to board a plane, in the muddled frazzled frame of mind that comes from too much motion and not enough stillness. As I tried to concentrate on a stream of inbound emails, I felt someone coming up behind me – a little too close, as […]
Beauty awakens the soul to act. – Dante While thousands gathered for climate week in New York these past few days, I took a turn to a much smaller venue. I listened to scientists, brainy and brimming with equations, highlight the importance of human connection. I heard about a police officer stopping to […]
Despite the pumpkin-spiced energy that’s surrounding us – or maybe because of it – I found myself overwhelmed this morning, just not up to the task. Not the tactical tasks of weeding and emails, not the more vital tasks of being a good sister or daughter or friend, not even the core human tasks of […]
Early in my career, I was on a downward escalator in a faraway airport, grumpy from a missed flight, when I heard a familiar voice calling my name. A friend from high school had spotted me going the opposite direction, across the miles and across the years. After an awkward scramble we met up for […]
Possibilities are always more interesting than facts. – John O’Dononue I’ve been spending these cooler early mornings with John O’Donohue, through the wonder-full compilation Walking in Wonder, based on conversations with his friend John Quinn. Today I aim to practice his advice on landscape. One of the lovely ways to […]
It is ten years already since the passing of Seamus Heaney. His final message – noli timere, be not afraid – is with me always, in a little heart shaped amulet that I carry everywhere. It is tempting to surround our heroes in fluffy pink clouds of admiration, as if they represent nothing but […]
Some days a little storm cloud sits overhead – the coffee is cold and the lines are long and the news is mean and there seems no grace or kindness to be found. But then the driver coming towards me slows on the road and I spot the reason – an enormous turtle is crossing […]
In the woods we return to reason and faith. – Emerson I was hiking with my favorite twelve year old in a glorious redwood forest, where we saw trees sprouting from trees sprouting from trees. Upon seeing a largish spruce that was rooted in a fallen redwood, he wondered how many long-ago layers […]
I took a little art break this week, and one of the museum cards stopped me in my tracks. Instead of “Artist unknown,” it said, “Artist once known.” Woah. So much pain and so much honor is packed into those three tiny words, that one momentous edit. Dear ones, what have we lost that was […]
Do you ever wake up in the morning thinking of all the things you wish you’d done the day before? Yes, every day is a gift, and it is wonderful to live in the moment. Yet sometimes, those twinges can be teachers. These thoughts led me down a little carpe diem rabbit hole, where I learned […]