Be Happy: Just because your teen is unhappy, doesn’t mean you have to be!
I live in a home with two teens and two preteens. In the South, where I live, people tend to respond to this fact by saying, “Oh, bless your heart.” Yes, bless my heart. Bless it with happiness and strength. For, if there is a theme for our lives right now it is this: Moods [...]
Top Ten Videos that Will Make You Cry (In a Good Way!)
NOTE: Scroll on down if you just want to see the “TOP TEN Videos that Will Make You Cry”! I am a big believer in the healing power of tears. I believe this because I am a cryer. I cry at weddings. Graduations. Bar Mitzvahs. Movies. Poetry. Prayers. And yes, even commercials. I cry every [...]
Parents: It’s not “I love you but …” — it’s “I love you AND …”
“I love you but you are being so irresponsible.” “I love you but I am sick and tired of asking you to pick up your stuff.” “I love you but you have got to bring your grades up.” “I love you but you are acting completely helpless.” “I love you but I don’t have to [...]
Be Courageous: All Meaningful Paths Begin with a Single Step
The path to peace begins with unrest. The path to wisdom begins with unknowing. The path to love begins with loneliness. The path to a new life begins with the old. If we want to get to where we are going, we must first compassionately accept where we are. Then take one brave step forward [...]
Be Fair: A plea for a more compassionate response
Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, There is a field. I will meet you there. – Rumi As a teacher I saw this sort of scene unfold more times than I can recall. I would be watching group of children playing a game – kickball or keep-away or freeze tag. I’d look away [...]
How To Be Compassionate: Stuck in traffic? Maybe you are behind your spiritual teacher.
Three years ago, I was at a spiritual retreat at Blue Cliff Monastery in New York with the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master, poet, and peace activist. I can’t begin to express what a transformative experience it was: learning to sit peacefully, gently attending to my in breath and out breath; learning to eat mindfully [...]
Be Different: Because in being different, we are all the same
During the month of December, I’ll be participating in a project called Reverb 10. Reverb 10 is “an open online initiative that encourages participants to reflect on this year and manifest what’s next. It’s an opportunity to retreat and consider the reverberations of your year past, and those that you’d like to create in the year ahead.” Each day [...]
How To Be Connected: A Class Reunion in Cyberspace
During the month of December, I’ll be participating in a project called Reverb 10. Reverb 10 is “an open online initiative that encourages participants to reflect on this year and manifest what’s next. It’s an opportunity to retreat and consider the reverberations of your year past, and those that you’d like to create in the year ahead.” Each day [...]
How To Be True: Remembering your divine purpose
Imagine the moments just before you were born — milliseconds before you made your grand entrance and drew your first, jagged, shocking breath of air. In those last few moments before you emerged, your soul, held tenderly in the hands of the Divine One, was about to be placed within your tiny body. The Source [...]
How To Be Compassionate: You really have nothing better to do . . .
My clock-radio is always set to wake me to the morning news. Sometimes I question the wisdom of this decision. Most of the stories that are broadcast in the morning are not especially uplifting or motivating. I often think that a tooth-rattling alarm might be more pleasant to wake to. This morning’s news was especially [...]