Everybody hurts
“I’ve lost my way.” One man confesses to his friend. “And it’s not good, because I don’t know how much more I can take." “I understand,” his friend says. “I don’t know what is next, but I think I’m close…
The world needs healers
For one whole week, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, I was without wifi. This is grim. I couldn’t even Google remedies for wifi withdrawal. I am not interested in TV, so was blissfully without the news. Except it’s like going to…
Talk to me like I’m a human
The shot is true, a low laser, past an outstretched goalie, into the corner of the net. After he scores, Mr. Parker performs a joy-unrestrained airborne jig, and bumps torsos with another teammate as the fans dance and cheer, GOOOOOOAL! What makes this story so special? Mr. Parker has only one leg. The other was amputated during…
Let us remember who we are
"All we're asked to do is to be in the world who God is,” Fr. Gregory Boyle reminds us. “Certainly, compassion was the wallpaper of Jesus' soul, the contour of his heart, it was who he was. I heard someone say…
When did you stop dancing?
Do you have any relatives that make you wonder about the gene pool in your family tree? Well, Uncle George was exasperating and difficult. Looking after him was stressful, taxing and thankless. Driving to the funeral of Uncle George, the young man let loose with…
You have a voice
I never played the game Giants, Wizards and Dwarfs. But Robert Fulghum makes me wish I had. He tells the story about being left in charge of eighty children seven to ten years old, while their parents were off doing…
Invest in this life
Perusing the shelves of one of my favorite independent bookstores some time back, I found a title that gave me pause. "What if I wake up and discover I'm living the wrong life?" (Mercy. This is a good way to throw a…
Soul Gardening: Cultivate a life of passion and grace
Join me in the garden… April 9 – May 2 Ten sessions… invitation and permission to SLOW DOWN, harness the power of pause, practice the sacrament of the present moment. In the garden, there is a renewal, a rediscovery of…
Savor simple pleasures
GK Chesterton tells the story of a teenage boy granted one wish by a genie. “Do you wish to be huge or tiny?” We are all swayed by the appeal of being big, strong and powerful. So, the boy chose…
A weight is lifted
I love the uplifting story Sue Monk Kidd tells about her grandfather. My grandfather was a lawyer, a judge, and a farmer. He was frequently busy and conquesting, but I remember also that he sometimes entered the golden moments of wu wei. He and I…
