The other day I had a yearning, very specific in its musical nature. I wanted/needed to hear “Dance Me to the End of Love,” à la Leonard Cohen when he first recorded it. Maybe not an anthem song in the way “Hallelujah” is, but there was every good reason that the set list of his final concert … [Read more...] about Need a Good Cry? How about some tear-water tea?
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
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
The Minor Fall/the Major Lift
“Is ‘Hallelujah’ a Christmas song?” asks a friend. He has a doubtful look on his face. He heard the song as part of a Christmas compilation. Leonard Cohen aficionado that he knows I am, he figures I would have an answer. As a piece of music, ‘Hallelujah’ is a story all its own. The … [Read more...] about The Minor Fall/the Major Lift
Corona fatigue syndrome: my corona diaries
A dear friend of mine, very fit, tells me she feels uncharacteristically tired after a recent hike. She lives in northern California. Same thing for another friend, who misses her gym workouts and is doing the best she can with brisk walks. She lives in Miami. Her new Bluetooth spin bike is due … [Read more...] about Corona fatigue syndrome: my corona diaries
Just keep swimming . . . and blogging?
Labor Day has come and gone, and with it the season most riddled with paradox. If those long light-filled days of summer are so lazy hazy, why do they seem to slip away in a flash? Plausible theories may explain why time seems to speed up as we age. But even as a child, the … [Read more...] about Just keep swimming . . . and blogging?