My thoughts and prayers are with you. Really? We mean well, but those words resonate with the timbre of wet dough dropped onto a countertop. Seriously, is there a more banal cliché? But what’s the alternative— buying an equally clichéd Hallmark card to affix our name to? I’ve always found condolences awkward. I mean, what …
The Gift of Sadness
Sadness walks hand in hand with loss, springing from something we’ve had, but no longer have, including our dreams. We don’t ever get over irreparable loss; instead, it becomes part of who we are. Have you ever tried to scrape peanut butter off a slice of bread? Letting go of sadness is similar. Everyone experiences …
The Whole of It
My mother used to watch a soap opera titled Days of Our Lives. A narrator introduced each episode with the line: “Like sands through an hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” I can still hear the theme song playing in my ear. That was nearly sixty years ago. Lately, I’ve been thinking about …
On Turning Five
Our eldest Granddaughter recently turned five. I only mention that because I vividly remember turning five, but not much before then. On my fifth birthday, my parents gave me a record player. It was robin’s egg blue, with a white hinged top closed with latches. The record player featured four playing speeds: 16, 33, 45, …
Integrity
Integrity was drilled into me as a child. My father was a serious man; universally respected, but not exactly the kind of guy you would throw back a few beers with. There was a distinct separation between parents and buddies in those days. Parents were respected, and perhaps even feared, in a healthy way. When …
Quality of Life
The quality of our awareness determines the quality of our lives. That may sound like a strange claim; after all, isn’t awareness innate? The trick (or practice) is to take our lives off autopilot. In other words, to tease apart the process of being aware from the result of that awareness. I like to think …
Seeking Balance In An Angry World
I tend to wake up early, like 4:30 AM. When this happens, I usually spend an hour catching up on the news. I’m beginning to rethink this habit. We’ve become polarized, angry, and dissatisfied. Something is making us sick. Maybe it’s media eco-sysystems that feed extremism, or perhaps economic frustrations. No doubt, the decay of …
We R 1
We R 1, whether we embrace it or not. We’re sequestered on a blue marble catapulting through space. No doubt there’s other intelligent life in the universe, but even if the closest star had an Earth-like planet, a round-trip visit would take eight and a half years, traveling at the speed of light. To put …
Be Here Now!
Sometimes, the simplest things in life are the hardest. Here’s an example: Be here now! If you are stressed, anxious, or emotionally triggered, it’s usually because of something you are thinking about. When we take a vacation from thought, we find ourselves at peace. Try it, right now! Set your phone or tablet down, …
The Power of Purpose
I’m back! Summer sabbatical 2025 was great. We enjoyed lots of cabin time with family guests, including our son, Bryan, along with his dogs, Rocky and Annabelle. Our son Daniel, who’s had a rough year, with four hospitalizations. Our daughter, Julia; son-in-law, Ryan; and granddaughters, Adalyn and Arlo, from Portland, Oregon. My sister, Janet, and …
Towards A Life Well-Lived 