What do we do when tragedy strikes?
NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT This weekend, with our awareness of Friday’s horrific tragedy in Newtown, has been one of sorrow and bewilderment. It’s difficult to understand not only “How could this happen” but “Why?” Whatever happened to the silver lining? Being able to provide meaning to adversity is an essential part of recovering. This usually involves finding a […]
Doing small things with great love…
One of my favorite book titles is… ” Old Age is Contagious, But You Don’t Have To Catch It.” And it reminds us that we can throw away the calendar as an authority. Even medical doctors agree that aging is a completely individual process. They divide age into two separate categories; chronological age […]
An Irish Christmas Experience?
What fun it was to attend the live concert of The Irish Rovers while I was visiting my sister over in the Seattle area this last week. The group began in Canada, were immigrants from Northern Ireland, and then headed down to the states. They soared to the top of the pop and country charts with “Wasn’t […]
And what did you learn this weekend?
I think Henry Van Dyke said it all when he said . . . “Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.” We can find reasons to be grateful from this weekend. Are you thankful that you got to […]
How full is your cup?
Abundance is not about how much we can get; the experience of abundance arises when we feel that whatever we have is enough. Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk who has studied Oriental and Western spirituality, is quoted in Legacy of the Heart by Wayne Muller, and says that “abundance is not measured by what […]
Thank God for the Fleas!
I love this time of year! It’s the season we focus on being grateful. The harvest is in and the blessings abound! And it’s easy to be grateful for the sunshine, the good things, plenty of food, meeting our budget, and compliant children. But what about the storms, the money running out before the […]
Ants, a life lesson (or 4!)
We all tend to look up to big people, leaders, gurus, for lessons on how to live life better. But we forget that sometimes the biggest lessons in life come from the smallest folks around us. Take ants, for instance. Would you believe those small creatures can teach us how to live a better life? […]
Aarrg!! Can’t wait for it to be over!
Politics! Politics! Politics! Why are we so cranky? So quick to snap at a family member or co-worker when the conversation turns to the election coming up in the next weeks? At least we can be grateful that the presidential debates are over and we just have the media stuff to wade through! Of course […]
50 Years Ago or Today?
Over 50 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi gave a pretty good description of our current situation in one of his quotes: “The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice.” 50 years ago? today? Are […]
Do Thorns Have Roses?
What I want to share today is something I’ve shared on occasion in talks I’ve given, even though I don’t know where it came from originally. I read it somewhere and that author indicated a friend told him it had been shared with him originally by an old friend who didn’t know who […]