Tag: calm
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Wholeness
What does it mean to feel whole, to be whole? It’s a word and a concept that indicates completeness, a circle, continuous and perfect. It’s a word that, to me, radiates more than momentary contentment, a feeling I am not certain that I often feel. I had the joy of taking part in a sound…
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Redirecting
In life with children, and work with older adults, I have come to learn the value of redirecting. With a young child, it is addressing an escalating or emotional situation with distraction. “Oh my gosh, look at this” or “Quick, come with me, I have something for you.” We all know the drill. Change the…
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Asking Forgiveness
Tomorrow is Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar. It’s a day of contemplation and prayer, the conclusion to the 10 days that began with Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of a new year. In addition to the practice of using these 10 days to reflect on the past year and think…
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Being Patient
One way to use the word patient is in the sense of being willing to wait, being measured and calm in your approach and your timing. Another way, of course, is in the medical sense, as when you are receiving care and your identity, and your role, is one of patient. And while patient is…
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Why Not?
It seems to me, sometimes, that the most important phrase we can hold onto is simply “why not?” It rings true in my life all the time, professionally as well as personally. Now, let me say right off the bat, that “why not” has limits, even for me. There is no “why not” with respect…
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Working It Out
No matter who you are or what you do, life hands you challenges on a regular basis. We face situations that we cannot imagine will have a solution. We look at options that all seem laced with despair. We walk around with our stomachs in knots, unable to sleep, thoughts swirling around the problem that…
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Precious Gifts
I would be the first to admit that I have no artistic ability. Oh, I know what I like and I have strong opinions about how I think that things should look but when it comes to creating beautiful objects or art, that is well beyond me. The closest I come to a creative pursuit…
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What Defines Us
If you were asked to define yourself in a single paragraph, what would you say? How would you distill the essence of who you are into a few sentences? This paragraph needs to be more than the simple declarative sentences that begin with “I am,” rather it is a look deeper at what made you…
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Still Fighting the Fight
The news reports today were filled with mentions of Cherie DeVaux, the first woman who has trained horses to win both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. And, while I would take nothing away from Ms. DeVaux’s accomplishment, I was struck by the incessant emphasis on her gender. I do understand that she is the first…
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Another Day
It was my birthday this week, although I admit it might be hard to know which day it was exactly. I like to turn my celebration into the entire month, blowing out as many candles as I possibly can! I feel the same way about family birthdays, why confine them to just one day a…
