Have you ever gotten a message, heard a voice in your head, had a dream, felt something in your gut...that prompted you to do or say something that you wouldn’t normally consider...but that you simply couldn’t ignore? Some people believe that angels sometimes express themselves through dreams or “whisperings”. I can attest to these messages, including the voice that told me to slow down and move into the next lane just as my tire blew, saving me from a major … [Read more...]

Yesterday, I watched the ease with which a giant osprey landed on the tiniest broken branch of a tree that will likely not make it through the next hurricane. There he had the proverbial “bird’s eye view”, able to keep watch for his prey or to call for a mate, all while deciding his next direction. It makes me wonder how the birds and animals find such ease while we humans often struggle to find balance. In my life, it’s been the times that I have been over-thinking, over-committed, … [Read more...]

I grew up with a workaholic father in a business that enveloped all of us. My dad owned Art’s Variety Store, a 15 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year business. The only time that the store hours were shortened was on Christmas day, by 4 hours, so that my dad could enjoy dinner with our extended Italian family. It may be hard to believe, but the first and only day that the store was actually closed was for my wedding. (Maybe he should have kept it open! :0) So, it came as no surprise … [Read more...]

If today were your last day in this body, what would you want to be experiencing – truly experiencing? Would it be the voice or touch of a loved one, listening to the sounds of the birds or enjoying a conversation with a friend, eating a favorite meal, watching the way the waves break on the shore, walking through a forest of trees or bed of flowers. . .? One afternoon, there were 9 people grocery shopping in Boulder, Colorado, checking off their “to do” list, never giving a thought … [Read more...]

I am fully aware that I’ve let numerous days and hours of my life slip by without notice, especially in younger years, when time was plentiful and easy to squander. But now, with a greater understanding of how precious each day is, I can get irked when people or situations rob me of this gift of time. These “stolen moments” cannot be recovered or repaid. Covid has made many of us more aware of TIME on many levels ... for some too much time, for others not enough. But a … [Read more...]

“I wonder what it feels like to fly so highriding the thermals in the sky?”    It’s easy to experience a sense of wonder when we are in nature. I am awestruck in the early evenings whenever I witness the ease and flow of 35 white Ibis as they glide in formation across the pale blue sky. I watched in wonder the other day as an anhinga grasped a fish that looked way too big to slide down its slender neck. But after many attempts at subduing its dinner, it managed to gulp it … [Read more...]

“The most powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen.”  Rachel Naomi Remen On my way to my first in-person yoga class in almost a year – outdoors and socially distanced, of course – I was listening to a radio program that deeply resonated. It was about a UK study by Jo Cox which found that “over 9 million people often or always feel lonely.” It continued, “Young or old, loneliness doesn’t discriminate.” The then Prime Minister Theresa May decided to do … [Read more...]

Tucked away in our homes, viewing life through a computer, TV screen or window, we may not be as aware that there are many inspiring acts of kindness being performed every day and that we can still be active participants. In the middle of the night, I awoke and thought, “I’m going to look on FB and see what I can find about kindness.” The first thing that I read was from a friend, Louise Aveni, who experienced an anonymous act of kindness in Sarasota, Fl. and has decided … [Read more...]

 “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” —William Arthur Ward Thanksgiving is often a time to focus on what we are grateful for, but it is our everyday gratitude that can fill our hearts and minds with peace and happiness.Over 15 years ago, I started a daily gratitude journal. First thing most mornings, I write three things for which I am grateful. One lesson that I’ve learned is that the more I’ve focused on and … [Read more...]

If one completes the journey to one’s own heart, one will find oneself in the heart of everyone else.  Father Thomas Keating There is no limit to the things, people and events that can cause uncertainty and anxiety in our lives. But how we deal with our anxiety, where we find peace in the midst of it, and how we create connections can be a tremendous source of comfort. How can we share what is giving us hope and a sense of purpose and belonging in an … [Read more...]