Mindful Moment: Courage
Third grade music class. Our teacher asked us to share our musical talents. Only problem: I didn't play any musical instrument. I didn't dance (wait for it!). I "only" played soccer. Buuuuuut, it never entered my head that that was a "problem." I loved dancing. ...
Tips for Mindful Relationships #6: How to love the one you’re with
This fall, I found myself feeling irritate with Brian. (I know, how could I be upset with this sweet face?! It happens!) I kept focusing on what he wasn't doing "right" (cough. um...MY way). This didn't make anyone happy. Including me. I decided to stop whining and do...
Tips for Parenting with Compassion #6: Gotta go wild
I’ve noticed this: many of us are uncomfortable with our kiddos “going wild.” For some time I’ve been noticing myself. Noticing how I get “uncomfortable” when the energy gets a bit high and I start getting on the kiddos to “bring it down.” Sure, it’s appropriate to...
Mindful Moment: our hands
His hand. The instant I took this picture and viewed it, my son’s hand drew my attention. It felt…familiar. Its placement. Its energy. Its “feel.” It all reminded me of something. A few weeks later, after I had printed out these pictures and was putting them...
Mindful Moment: My mom’s everyday love…in a grapefruit
Grapefruit. I started to softly cry over my grapefruit the other morning. Carefully cutting the outside circle of my grapefruit, I stopped. The memory of my mother so lovingly and thoroughly cutting my grapefruit for me as a girl flooded my mind and heart. Back...
Tips for Mindful Relationships # 5: Don’t Take it Personally
I finally arrived at my friend’s house after packing up the kiddos, turning around to get the toy my son had forgotten at home and wanted to give to his friend, returning an important phone call, packing my things to head off to work in an hour when my husband would...
Tips for Everyday Mindfulness # 8: Drop the Story
I love how insight comes at random times. There we were, my fellow mama friend and me working out at the Y, BY OURSELVES with no kiddos at 7:15 at night, moving our tushes on the elliptical trainer, talking about life, what we are wrestling with, letting go of, what...
Mindful Moment: a thousand hearts in my heart
After I picked up A. from preschool this afternoon, my little honey says, "Mom, ya know what?" Me: "What love?" A.: "I've got a thousand hearts in my heart." Me: "That's lovely, A." A.: "Yeah. That means I love everyone. Do you know that? {Pause.} Do you have a...
Tips for Everyday Mindfulness #7: Appreciating what is
As Brian and I assess and discern some new possibilities in our life, I am finding that there is a growing awareness of and appreciation for the life we have. Often in the daily "doing" of our lives, day after day, it's hard to see the "bigger picture" of our lives....
Sacred Softening
Sacred Softening My body knows has always known my way back to God. I dance moving in slow sensual swirls under the vastness of a moon-lit night swaying until stillness fills every cell and there are no hard edges striving, panting, thinking only breath and heart....