Do You Really Want ______ or Do You Want to Want _____? Last night I was in a particularly indecisive mood. I couldn’t decide which topic to write about, what to cook for dinner and whether or not to go a function at a friends’ home. I’m no stranger…
The Power of Compassion
A few weeks ago, my 56-year-old cousin Michelle lost a 2 ½ year battle with leukemia. She fought with determination and grace, never complained, and stayed positive and selfless throughout. Michelle was originally diagnosed in 2017, three days before she was scheduled to fly to…
Embracing Space: Releasing the Old to Make Room for the New
In virtually every blog I write, I advocate for pausing: a chance to catch your breath, get some distance, and re-calibrate. A pause can be short – taking three breaths before inhaling that third piece of chocolate or long – waiting a few days before…
Embracing the Emptying Nest
In ten hours, I will be meeting a group of moms at the base of Cowles Mtn. for our annual first day of school, Moms and Mimosas, hike. It’s a treasured tradition that dates back to our kids’ elementary school years. For the past 10+…
Embracing the Muddle……. I Mean the Middle
The last few weeks, I mean months, Ok, much of last year was tough. Really, really tough. For sure, my mom’s passing was the hardest part. And, there were many other losses and changes that happened concurrently. For much of the year, I felt as…
Embracing Action and Stillness in the Wake of Tragedy
Embracing Action and Stillness in the Wake of Tragedy As I write this, it has been 12 days since the tragic attack at San Diego’s, Chabad Poway Synagogue. By now, most of us know what transpired. A 19 year-old-male entered the synagogue during Saturday services,…
Embracing Spring’s Bounty
Hibernating flowers bulbs and seeds that were unseen over the winter, begin to bloom treating us to their myriad of colors and shapes. Even the freeway edges become adorned with yellow, orange and pink wildflowers. And the scents of spring are a palette of their…
Embracing the GAP
Embracing the GAP Last week was rich with Embracing the Middle opportunities. First Maya, my younger daughter, earned her driver’s license. A few days later, she left for an 8-week high school program in Israel (something she’s been actively campaigning for since 5th grade). On Sunday…
Embracing Changing Seasons
Embracing the Changing Seasons I have an amazing fig tree in my backyard. It’s the first thing I notice when I open my curtains every morning and its branches are my constant reminder of the changing seasons (even if the temperature outside is usually 70…
Mindfulness and a Sucky Week
Last week sucked. And I know I am not alone in my experience. The Kavanaugh hearing had an upsetting ripple effect on most everyone I know. Several friends shared their PTSD experience from revisiting their histories of sexual trauma after watching the heroic testimony of Dr. Ford….