"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person" — Andy Rooney Our 15-year old chocolate lab, Stella, is in her final days. It is a gentle time in our home--ear scratches and belly rubs, extra treats, assurance of our love for her, and lots of reminiscing. I remember the day she stole […]
I flew to Spain a couple weeks ago. I went with friends who were walking the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage. Because I hurt my knee this summer, I was not going to walk. But I had lovely plans ... to explore Spanish cites, enjoy great food, drink, reading, resting. Which I did. Until […]
Laughing together at old jokes, old memories, old failures. And then crying together at the thought of losing our old dog; the dog of our middle age. Sitting quietly drinking coffee and reading, briefly catching eyes, flashing a slow smile that says, "I could sit here with you forever." Fitting into the crook of his […]
One of my favorite writers, David Benner, states that much of our lives are made up of "little deaths and little resurrections," following the pattern of Jesus. Simply put: things end, dreams die, seasons transition, egos are bruised. And, when surrendered to, these little deaths often bring little resurrections: new life emerges, a new dream […]
As I enjoy my final months of being 59, I resonate with this writing: "The human soul is like a fine wine that needs to ferment in various barrels as it ages and mellows. The wisdom for this is written everywhere, in nature, in scripture, in spiritual traditions, and in what is best in human […]
I love the newsletter The Marginalian by Maria Popova. It's brilliant and so well curated it is almost as if you read an entire life-altering book (or two!) when you immerse yourself in her musings. She wrote this recently and I cannot stop thinking about it: "You are the only custodian of your own integrity […]
