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Cleaning Up
A friend of mine often used to say “Clean up your house, clean up your life.” What she meant was that, when things feel out of control, do something you can control, do something that will leave you with a sense of accomplishment. I find that days when I clean out closets, fill bags to…
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Kitchen Counters
Funny things that trigger us, don’t you think? It never fails to startle me a bit when I recognize both a trigger, and its roots, without ever having consciously thought about it before. Yes, as you may have guessed from the title, my kitchen counters are an emotional trigger for me. My kids would tell…
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Of Love and Memory
My kitchen is filled with the sights and smells of preparation for the Passover holidays. There is a list on my counter of the menu I plan to serve for Seder and a day by day checklist of what needs to be done each day from now until the holiday. Of course, I am well…
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Benedictions
I had a very special, once in a career, moment this week. I had the privilege of standing on a stage and accepting a significant national award in my field. It’s an honor that recognizes the work of a lot of years and the privilege of having been able to create and institute change, all…
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Triggers
We don’t always know what is going to be a trigger for us, do we? It could be something we hear or see or even something unrelated that causes us to react or remember. Sometimes it takes a moment to define that trigger, sometimes it is almost startling its clarity. The trigger for me this…
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Boulders and Hills
I described leadership this week to someone as “pushing big boulders up big hills.” I don’t mean that in a negative way, rather I believe that the work of a leader is to see the next pinnacle and help move the organization to reach it. I think of the line by political adviser James Carville…
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Timing
I came home from Israel just a week before this war began. I am watching, and reading, the news of missile strikes and bombings from the safe shelter of my suburban home. I spent much of today baking cookies and bread with my granddaughter, enjoying her company and letting the process of combining sugar, flour,…
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Presence
An interesting conversation this week with some friends, talking about connection to religion and upbringing and expectations. We all come at this from such very different viewpoints and experiences. I was raised in a family with strong religious practices and well defined standards. I learned them, I understood them and I chose, beginning as a…
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Hearts and Flowers
My dad was an affectionate father but not someone I would describe as a loving husband or partner. We knew as children, because of what Dad told us, that he hadn’t wanted to get married, that his mother “forced him” to find a wife and make a life. He was 48 or 49 at the…
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Blessing or Curse?
There is no question that I was a very naive child. Truth be told, I think I was naive well into my adult life and, in some aspects, maybe I still am. When I was a child, I was certain that the people I loved would be with me forever. And while there was loss…
With a Full Heart
Reflections on Leadership and Life
With a Full Heart 