Hip, Hip, Hooray
The last couple of weeks have brought much to celebrate: An amazing change in the race for the US Presidential Elections. A surprise and wonderful wedding for my beloved grandson. An opening of my new studio that included birthday festivities. I’m grateful for all of it. But “hip” has a special meaning today: I’ll be going in […]
Letting Curiosity Guide Us When Things Fall Apart
Last week I lost my neighbor and riding coach, a friend I’d known for thirty years. Hearing the news of her death felt like being bucked out of the saddle—and hitting the ground hard. I am still hobbling a week later. Our complicated relationship stretched across decades. Without her presence, the present feels emptier—I look […]
Letting life “cure” us
Every day, life burnishes and “cures” us —sometimes by the unexpected and dramatic, sometimes by the routine and ordinary. We feel, we love, we celebrate, we grieve, and we grow. I walk to the paddock each morning and see cycles of life—beginning, maturing, and fading—playing out before me. The impending death of a 29-year-old horse […]
When who we are is how we are supposed to be
Last week I received the latest episode in my ongoing series, “Lessons in Loss and Grief.” A close, dear friend died after suffering the hell of pancreatic cancer. Because I had worked hard last year through the “Beginning Grief” lessons, I thought I was prepared. Appreciating the power of tears, I’d cried many times through […]
Small Acts Can Light the World
All around us tiny acts of kindness are happening daily. You have done some of them. Big or small, they bring light to the world. Sometimes, they change lives. Despite the occasional thanks we receive, often we don’t know the long-term results of our actions. Occasionally, when we’re lucky, someone will tell us about a […]
And now, a brief view from the land of the ordinary
The world’s been a bit gloomy, so I thought we needed a change. A little visit to main street, real life, the ordinary. Because contrary to what we sometimes hear, good people are doing lots of good-hearted, regular things every day. I thought it was time to sample a few of them. Genevieve T. in Brooklyn celebrated […]
Set Up Your Day With Morning Rituals and Routines
In these tumultuous times, as I wrote about last week, morning rituals and routines set the direction for our days. They offer a base of calm stability from which to travel into our work and to-dos. Plus, they’re fun to design. For years, I’ve been interested in the rituals and routines that famous artists and writers have […]
Coping with (collective) grief during the holidays
The holidays can be challenging when we’re feeling grief, especially after personal losses—even those from long ago. This year many of us are also feeling another shade of grief that can compound the personal. It’s grief for the state of the world. Recently, I googled “How to survive collective grief during the holidays” and a […]
Overwhelmed? It’s OK to “Cry Uncle!”
I had tea this week with a close friend, one of the most kind, competent, and generous people I know. Also one of the most ill. In the ideal world, she would just have one job: her own healing, but in this world, she has to handle finances, deal with a big home repair, consult […]
How to Celebrate a Birthday with 72 Delights
Birthdays are a funny thing. When I was six, a birthday expanded my world. It meant more adventures, a later bedtime, and an allowance. But at sixty, my birthday felt less promising. The end horizon on life felt so much closer. How do we celebrate that? With style, I say, or, everyone in their own special way. The first […]
