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Life Lessons My Garden Taught Me
My grandfather was a strong presence when I was growing up in Greece. He was retired, a widower, and he lived with us. The man had his faults but, his love for his grandchildren was steady. I used to trail him everywhere, and he was happy to have an adoring, curious, mouthy, skinny little thing follow him around. Trailing him as he went about tending his garden was one of my favorite activities. He was exceedingly proud of his roses, and he would turn and explain what he was doing as he went about the morning duties of a gardener. He moved deliberately, inspecting, pruning, feeding, watering, and stepping back to…
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The Promise of Renewal
On Monday night, the UConn Women’s Basketball team played Baylor to advance to the final four. The game took place in San Antonio, Texas. It was a tough and intensely physical game that UConn won by two points. Geno Auriemma, the UConn coach, while being interviewed at the end of the game, said something that caught my attention. Describing his team’s win against a team that was stronger, bigger, and faster, he said that, “Although UCONN has a long history of winning, this year’s team is young and when you don’t know because you’ve never been there before, you don’t believe it. These players don’t have that experience yet. No matter…
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On Anniversaries
It’s 6:30 am on March 10th and the one-year anniversary of the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic is upon us. Outside my bedroom window, I can hear this little bird calling out, a familiar and intimate sound, same time, every morning. Many people have commented on how tuned-in they became to the birds and their songs during the pandemic. There will be numerous articles, TV shows, and ceremonies commemorating this fateful day a year ago, and the journey we embarked upon as a whole. You too may be reflecting on what it has all meant for you and your loved ones. 2020 has been an unprecedented year. To date, more than…
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On Friendship
Life is hard enough without self-imposed suffering. We confuse accountability with self-punishment. What if we treated ourselves the way we treated our best friend, someone who trusts us and who we trust? What then?
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Powering Through
We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of the beginning of quarantine. A year! A challenging and emotional march through four seasons. How have we changed and what have we learned? Where do we go from here? Although we may be sensing the light at the end of this dark tunnel we’ve been walking through, there’s not much clarity as to how or even when this unexpected journey will end. This time of the year lends itself to being inside, reflecting, seeing, evaluating where we are and where we want to be. Given all that has happened this last year, many of us feel anxious about the future. We’re hoping for positive change…
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Endings & New Beginnings
January 2021 began with a bang and an intensity that rocked us. We had hoped for a deep breath of fresh air and a new beginning. We knew that things were not going to change overnight. They didn’t. Instead, January 6th happened. The images, intensity, and sheer scope of the day’s events jolted me and activated memories, emotions, and past experiences that I thought were behind me. If you too experienced an avalanche of emotions or strong memories, please remember it’s normal. Research has shown that traumatic events can trigger this kind of response. Take good care and be extra patient with yourselves. I was grateful when on January 11th, a…
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Imagine – Hope
Hello everyone, Welcome to the finish line of 2020, a truly unprecedented year. We’re a few hours away from a brand new and much-needed beginning. We ought to give ourselves credit for getting through and being here, ready and able to exhale. Is anything going to change drastically at the dawn of the New Year? Probably not, but change will come…slowly, painstakingly, deliberately, and at times, unexpectedly. ‘Tis the nature of change. Of course! The path to heavendoesn’t lie down in flat miles.It’s in the imaginationwith which you perceivethis world,and the gestureswith which you honor it.Oh, what will I do, what will I say, when thosewhite wingstouch the shore? Mary OliverExcerpt…
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In-Between
Hello everyone, I hope this finds you healthy and warm. December 21st marks the darkest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and it comes on the heels of our first major snowstorm. People around the world celebrate Winter Solstice and the beginning of winter by bringing the light inside. We gather around the fire, decorate with fairy lights and candles, and participate in various rituals and ceremonies which remind us that, after a long journey through darkness, the light always returns. 2020 has been a year of immense change, widespread suffering, and, frankly, madness. We’re all being tested as we’re trying to navigate the turbulent waters of the pandemic…
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On Small Miracles
Our capacity for sharing love and celebrating hasn't diminished because of the imposed limitations. What if we gave ourselves permission to explore new and creative ways to celebrate? Our lives are held together by small miracles and infinite beauty. Pausing to recognize that which we take for granted can open up the vaults of joy right where we stand.
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In Gratitude
We're approaching Thanksgiving week. How do we celebrate in this new environment? Can we begin by breathing in gratitude for all we have, here and now? These days I try to focus on what I can do in the present moment instead of getting frustrated with my limitations. I appreciate even more the gifts of ordinary moments.
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On Absorbing Joy
Hello everyone, How are you feeling? I just wanted to let you know that I’m thinking of you and sending you all warmth and peace. Today, I’m sitting down to write about something really important and hard to remember as we’re navigating these days of uncertainty and anxiety. For the sake of our own resilience, we need to strengthen our capacity to accept and absorb joy. Sharon Salzberg It’s been getting harder and harder to find our capacity for absorbing joy, hasn’t it? We’re in the midst of a pandemic and there’s no end in sight. People are losing their lives and livelihoods. Then, there’s the election on Tuesday, and emotions…
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A Time to Breathe – An Invitation
“To pause is to go on a pilgrimage into ourselves. We discover something new every time.” It’s never been easy being a woman. These days, it’s beyond challenging. Women have become caretakers on overdrive. We’re negotiating profound changes and heightened emotions, along with the logistics of caring for the home, family, our professional lives, and our communities. Our well-being and sanity are being undermined daily. Let’s face it, does self-care even make the list? Where do we start? When do we even get the time to breathe? Yet, here’s another fact. In order to cross the gauntlet of our current reality and make it to the other side, we need to…
