If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know my longtime employer is Catholic, sponsored by an order of nuns. Over the years, their numbers have dwindled, both in our facilities and within the order itself. With uncomfortable regularity, a death announcement for yet another Sister will appear on our intranet news section. It…
Category: Live Better
Don’t Mind If I Do
I mean, even my yogurt insists that I do it. (With or without yoplait’s permission) I always, always keep at least one fresh bouquet of flowers somewhere in the house. Few things bring me so much joy for so little.
Love is an Action Word
Have you ever noticed how, every now and then, certain thoughts get planted in our minds and then the world around us seems to reinforce that thought? Personally, I like to think this happens because it’s a divine lesson or message. Lately I’ve had the phrase “love is an action word” pop into my head…
So Much More
“When you start to feel like things should have been better this year, remember the mountains and the valleys that got you here. They are not accidents and those moments weren’t in vain. You are not the same. You have grown and you are growing. You are breathing, you are living. You are wrapped in…
Unplanned Stop and Lessons Learned
This morning, I had a small window of time between mass and work in which I’d originally planned on picking up breakfast, enjoying a chai latte, and making a leisurely drive to the office. But the early morning sun rising over a nearby lake made for an unplanned stop along the way. It was a bitter…
It’s Okay.
“Every time I feel like I can’t hold all the sadness of this world, I try to remember that I’m not a bowl. I’m a sieve. I’m porous and full of holes. I’m not meant to hold it; I just need to let it pass through me.” – Nanae Hoffman, Sweatpants & Coffee Another gem…
Finding Balance and Sense
“What’s the line between acknowledging the turmoil in the world and depriving yourself of joy? There’s a sweet spot somewhere that balances seeing harsh truths about our world, facing that with equanimity, trying to change it, and also being a joyful person. I’m trying to find that place because self-flagellation helps no one. I see…
A Sunday Wish
“May your coffee, your patience, and your wifi be strong. May you look for beauty and find it, especially in the ordinary moments. May you laugh often, even if no one else knows why. And may your sense of humor, wonder, and weirdness remind you that… you are and always have been worthy of joy.”…
Because…
…it’s Labor Day. There’s been a little bit of rest. Got a few runs in…and saw a few flowers along the way. Paid a few bills, did a little laundry, worked on my book, got pedis and coffee with friends. And watched a whole lotta US Open tennis. There’s just something about having no obligations and…
On Rainbows, Hearts and Funky Faces
“I’m not a mess but a deeply feeling person in a messy world. I explain that now, when someone asks me why I cry so often, I say, ‘For the same reason I laugh so often — because I’m paying attention.’ I tell them that we can choose to be perfect and admired or to…
Reminder
Sometimes life reminds us that we need to view ourselves more kindly… through a lens of love, as it were.
Wednesday Wisdom
“Magic happens when you do not give up, even though you want to. The universe always falls in love with a stubborn heart.”
Find Your Strong
“You’re going to be happy,” said life, “but first I’ll make you strong.” Maybe it started with the purchase of this “persist” shirt, but I’ve been thinking about strength lately – both the physical and spiritual kind. The “I can do this” kind of strength. Perhaps it’s because my nest will empty at the end…
Welcome Interruption (video)
Sometimes we can stand to not take ourselves so seriously. The results are still beautiful, only more fun.
Enough
“‘Enough’ is a feast. — Buddhist proverb I just realized how long it’s been since I pulled together a gratitude list. I’ve had a lot of big, obvious things that top the list — Drew’s grad school graduation and internship offer, Tanner’s grad school acceptance, both kids living back at home for a little while, time…
Just in Case
“In case no one told you today: You’re beautiful. You’re loved. You’re needed. You’re alive for a reason. You’re stronger than you think. You’re going to get through this. I’m glad you’re alive. Don’t give up!” — unknown
Goals
“Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Please forgive this blurry photo, but when you see something this dear, you use whatever you have handy. Which in this case, when I was looking out the window at the art museum, I only had my iPhone. So I…
Never Underestimate
Look at you, little bloom, and your big ol shadow. If only we could all see how far we can reach and how big we can be.
Tough Teachers
“I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.” – Khalil Gibran During today’s run, I noticed several flowering trees in my neighborhood bursting through, in spite of earlier snows and hard freezes. For whatever reason, it reminded me of this…
Everything Will Be Okay
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” (unknown) Somehow quotes from “Unknown” are always so smart. Here’s to a new week and new hope.
Dream in Color
“If you inherently long for something, become it first. If you want gardens, become the gardener. If you want love, embody love. If you want mental stimulation, change the conversation. If you want peace, exude calmness. If you want to fill your world with artists, begin to paint. If you want to be valued, respect…
I’ll Get There Eventually
“Aging is the extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.” – David Bowie So I aged a little bit today. Every now and then, it’s possible to catch a glimpse of something in ourselves that really isn’t as it ought to be. Maybe we’re not as patient or kind as we thought we were. Maybe we could…
Bit of Wisdom
“In your quest for happiness, choose your companions wisely. Surround yourself with people who take responsibility for themselves… …and are actively seeking joy.” — Nanea Hoffman
Weatherproofing
“When life gives you rain, wear cute boots and jump in the puddles.” – unknown Or ride your pink scooter while you wait for the bus. As I sat at a stoplight on the way to work this morning, I got the biggest kick out of this little girl. She scooted all over her driveway and…
Always Be a Unicorn
“Always be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn. Then always be a unicorn.” Recently I posted about a photography hike and how embarrassed I was about looking weird to other hikers. I’ve thought a lot about that day, trying to understand what I had been so worried about. I finally realized that what made that incident unusual is…
hey there, friends 