Category: relationships
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Finding Enough
When I teach yoga, as many yoga teachers do, I start with a theme for our practice and I end with a few minutes of guided meditation as my students relax into their final savasana. Given the fact that I primarily teach older adults in either a long term care or assisted living setting, my…
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Forgiveness
If you asked me, I would tell you that I am a person who believes strongly in forgiveness, that we have to have understanding and we have to let go of things. But, when I take a long, hard look inside, I know that’s not entirely true. And that may be an understatement. I certainly…
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Filling the Space
How often I say the words “life changes in the space between one heartbeat and the next.” Many, if not all of us, have learned the truth of those words. We learn that truth in pain, in grief, in trauma. We struggle to accept the reality of loss, battling between our rational mind that knows…
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Light somewhere
Someone asked me yesterday what I was like as a child. Was I petulant, rebellious, compliant? What words would I use to describe myself? It was a question that I both felt I should be able to answer instantly and one that I really had to think about for a moment. How would I describe…
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Finding Fierce
We had the gift of a vacation for the last week. Not just the “at home” vacation that we often have that finds me with more projects than time and not the “visit the kids” vacation which is always a busy whirlwind and never long enough. Nope, this was a real vacation away from our…
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Carrying On
After my brother died, in what can only be described as a tragic, and senseless, accident, my grief knew no bounds. I functioned but I know that I was a shadow of myself for a long time. We had the gift of being the best of friends in addition to being siblings and we had…
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The Limits of Invincibility
I am the first to say that I have been blessed in many ways in my life. Family, friends, opportunities, work that matters—I am grateful every day. I am also grateful always for health and, I must confess, have the incredible gift of being able to take mine for granted. I do take care of…
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Giving Thanks
Not sure why but I always think of, and refer to, Thanksgiving as “my holiday.” For a lot of years, it was the one day I could generally get the majority of our brood gathered around the table. I loved the feeling of having everyone together for no other reason than to enjoy a meal…
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Expiration Dates
It was a strange and somewhat unsettling week for me. I’ve been a part of the board of my national association for more than a decade, been honored to serve in a variety of leadership roles and been privileged to express my opinions and thoughts at a level where they can, I hope, make a…
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In the Name of Love
At a national conference that I’m attending, we enter the general reception area by walking across a “bridge” that was created by putting up some pieces of chain link fence and creating a pathway that simulates that bridge. As you reached the bridge, you were greeted by a staff member who explained it was the…
With a Full Heart 