lessons
learned

When I was little, I would fantasize that my adult self was a black woman with a glittering turban and flowing robes, standing on stage and singing her heart out.  (It was the 70s and Aretha Franklin was a God to me.) Obviously, that didn’t happen.   In high school, I fantasized that Jane Fonda […]

This morning, I opened my front door to reach around the doorframe and grab the mail out of our mailbox. The icy wind almost knocked me off my feet. I closed the door and went back to my office, empty handed. Maybe later. “That’s February in Connecticut,” you may be thinking. But if you live […]

I was a superstitious kid.

…to say there was a right way and a wrong way would have implied that we had a choice.

The cat woke me up this morning 30 minutes before my alarm – like he always does. I followed him down the stairs, fed him, made coffee, then started the shower, mug in hand.  This is our routine. Today feels the same as yesterday.  It’s Groundhog Day. And if you’re like me, the meaning of […]

My friend Millie met a Vietnamese Monk at a retreat in 1988.  She saw him talking to a group of children at the water’s edge and stopped to listen in.   Thay, as the monk asked to be called, was holding a stone and invited the children to do the same. Gently, as was his way, […]

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so grateful you’re here. Before you come in… Know that I’m not perfect. My house is not perfect, and the dinner certainly won’t be. Please leave your judgement at the door. There are people in here with whom you might have a history. As you enter, kindly let go of the expectation […]

What I uncovered in my closet is a symptom of how often the old patterns that run under our radar lead to choices that keep us from growing.

It’s a cloudy morning on the beach.