Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Living
Life Lessons
The Love Seat
Recently, I thought of the movie, Witness. It came out in 1985, and was about being seen and unseen. Harrison Ford plays a cop who goes undercover in an Amish community to protect a woman and her young son, who happened...
Mom Tried To Tell Me This 25 Years Ago
Several years ago, I was in a personal development course, where I heard something that seemed so outlandish that I dismissed it. What I heard was that one of our purposes for being on Earth was to learn how to...
I Never Thought I Would…
A friend, Terry, emailed me today about collaborating on project around story-telling. Story has been in my wheelhouse for awhile, from the time that I started blogging in 2005 and writing personal essays about raising kids and being self-employed to...
Hello, My Beautiful Heart
Today is Valentine's Day, a day when we focus attention on those we love. I woke up this morning tuning into my heart and felt the love...for my heart. Hello My Beautiful Heart, Thank you for sweet sadness and...
A Magical Night in Iowa
This week, I participated in my first Iowa caucus. I was both curious and excited to be part of a process that felt uniquely Iowan—down to earth, respectful, and straightforward. I would be sitting with my neighbors and hearing about...
Giving Thanks to …
This Thanksgiving season, I'm giving thanks to many of the same things that I've been blessed with in past years--good health, family and friends, purposeful work. I am also giving thanks to something new, which has been right under my...
What To Do When You Are Surrounded By Darkness
Lately, I've had a low grade fever of sadness and grief. It's not overt. I'm not shedding buckets of tears or unable to get out of bed. Instead, my body feels achy. I avoid the news of the day. When...
How to Prepare for a Big Day
You know the feeling. It's something that's been on your calendar and taking up mindshare. Maybe it's a big presentation at work that's anxiety inducing, or a highly anticipated vacation away, or a medical procedure that you are dreading. How...
Pure Joy
Recently, I spent the day at a nearby retreat center. Designed as a day of self-renewal, this Franciscan center on 70 acres offered solitude among beautiful oak trees, holistic bodily treatments (think sound healing and massage), nourishing meals, and spiritual...