Monks and holy guides of many different faiths agree that each person has their own “grace.” As Thomas Merton writes, “And each way is a grace, a special way is a special grace.”
On the mantel above my fireplace sits a representation of Quan Yin. I keep her there where I can always see her, because she embodies my intention and my spiritual practice as a human being and as a writer.
I lived in my suburban townhouse for nine years before I set foot inside a neighbor’s house. I knew their names and enough for a few minutes of small talk, but after that it felt safer to hurry back inside…
My husband and I moved to Vermont, in part, because of our love for the land and farming. We filled our new homestead with native plants to support pollinators. This year, our farmer neighbor decided to plant corn on our border - corn laced with pesticides...
I don’t know my yoga students well. Their work, their families, their passions, their struggles are mostly mysteries to me. When they walk into class our focus is the yoga. We pay attention to our poses, our bodies, and our breath and try to leave the rest outside.
The pandemic was particularly hard on the mental health of adolescents. Their activities, plans, hopes and dreams were canceled or changed, and disappointment hit hard. Now many teenagers are depressed, angry, frustrated, confused and are falling deep into holes of anxiety, fear and futility.
This past year, I turned 70, published my first collection of short stories, and lost my eldest brother to cancer. These events left me feeling as if I am only now beginning to know who I am. Sometimes, the most difficult emotions can reveal things we could not know any other way.
When I or someone I love is going through something heavy, I look to Spiritbox’s album “Eternal Blue.” Its brutal but beautiful songs were a constant companion during the COVID-19 lockdowns...
At the Grammys, Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs came together for a performance of “Fast Car” and brought down the house. The improbability of them appearing together added to the impact.
With all the bitter divides in the U.S. and around the world, it's hard to believe that human beings can create community with each other. But we can and we do...