Finding Our Soft Hearts
A couple of us moms were still preparing — skewering the hollow eggs so they could be painted, squirting small blobs of paint onto plates, and tying toothpicks to strings. The kids had just come in from outside and were flushed pink. Ms. Hayes suggested they sing a song, drawing them into a circle, and [...]
Giving Myself a Minute
I wrote this short piece for the annual newsletter of my meditation community and thought I would share it here. Just another example of learning to feel my feelings… I sit down on the couch and pick up my iPhone. My two boys are at my feet, making a meandering animal menagerie across the living [...]
Feeling My Feelings
The Buddha, in Lahaina on Maui A year ago, we were in Hawaii, cruising down the two-lane road from our little apartment, headed somewhere south… maybe to the botanical gardens. It was a longer drive, and the tension was high. Mica was fussing and uncomfortable. He didn’t want to go. He never does. He likes [...]
Witness
Mica was really tired, too tired, really, and nothing was right. He didn’t want to brush his teeth, he didn’t want the toothpaste (the only kind we have, have ever had), and the water was too cold. He didn’t want to put on his pajamas or his night-time diaper. We eventually arrived at a solution [...]
Six Going on Sixteen
Sometimes I feel so filled with impatience. With irritation. With resistance. Sometimes I can find a way to accept those feelings and I soften. Sometimes I remain in the grip of it and simply try my best to shut up. Sometimes I try my best and still don’t shut up. Thus, the other morning, I [...]
Practicing Peace: Self-Connection (continued)
This is the fifth post in my series Practicing Peace, in which I am sharing some of the practices I do throughout my days, including mindfulness, self-connection, and meditation. See the end of this post for links to all the posts in the series. Here is the last self-connection technique I’ll share. I covered three [...]
Practicing Peace: Self-Connection
This is the fourth post in my series Practicing Peace, in which I am sharing some of the practices I do throughout my days, including mindfulness, self-connection, and meditation. See the end of this post for links to all the posts in the series. The mindfulness practices help me get through each moment at a time, but [...]
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