Variations on a theme sparked by wildfires My daughter lives in Los Angeles. She is seven months pregnant. When fire flared up in the Hollywood Hills, she and her husband took the precautionary measure of leaving West Hollywood at least for the night. Too close for comfort, they reasoned, even … [Read more...] about No Place like Home?
Anything Is Possible
Or Is it? Back in 2013 Diana Nyad accomplished something no other long-distance swimmer had even tried. She swam from Cuba to the U.S, without a shark cage. It was her fifth attempt to negotiate the 110 miles with its manifest risk of sharks and deadly jellyfish. She was 64 years old. … [Read more...] about Anything Is Possible
A Vote Is a Kind of Prayer
Is America's melting pot in the throes of a meltdown? November 6, 2024 —Up at 6:30, earlier than usual for me. I needed to pick up where I left off with last night’s unsettling U.S. election coverage. Maybe I’d wake to some encouraging news. In the days leading up to Election Day, an … [Read more...] about A Vote Is a Kind of Prayer
Autumn Light
It’s late August, the time when leaves have begun to lose their vibrancy. Some are turning, hints of red and yellow. The shift in daylight, ever so subtle since the summer solstice, renders sunset noticeably earlier. Back-to-school memories kick in. The smell of a new briefcase, crisp lined … [Read more...] about Autumn Light
One Shoe, Two Shoes, Red Shoes, Blue Shoes
Every so often I’m lured into watching a movie for no other reason than its catchy title. In the 2022 film, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, the Cinderella trope is turned on its head. There is no prince and no fancy ball, just a hard-working British housekeeper with spunk and a lot of heart who falls … [Read more...] about One Shoe, Two Shoes, Red Shoes, Blue Shoes
Anxiety and Uncertainty: Loosening the Knot
Back in January, when the new year felt fresh, a New York Times essay—“How to Thrive in an Uncertain World”— caught my eye. Immediately a Pema Chodron title I go back to again and again came to mind. Comfortable with Uncertainty. Nuance is everything, Accepting that there is only so … [Read more...] about Anxiety and Uncertainty: Loosening the Knot
