Years ago I had a student named Joseph who was deaf and mute and on the autism spectrum. He was 9 years-old, with big brown eyes, and sandy hair. I loved him and I knew he trusted me. When it was time to come in from the playground, he could not hear the bell, so … Continue reading Wagons
September 11th, 2001, was a big emotional punch to the gut to all of us, everywhere. Most particularly to those on the east coast of course, but we were all blindsided by it. It’s one of those days we remember and tell stories about like JFK’s assassination, the Moon Landing, John Lennon’s death: #WhatIWasDoingWhenIHeardTheNews One thing I remember … Continue reading September 11th
This morning I read an article about Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple who recently came outside their mansion to brandish loaded guns at peacefully demonstrating Black Lives Matter activists who were marching by on a public street. They claim they needed to do this; they were defending their house. The current Republican Party leadership … Continue reading Protecting Our Hives
It was pointed out to me in recent years that the Catholic Church has seven sacraments for men but only six for women. I already knew that, but I had never thought it about it in quite that way before. For all you non-Catholics out there, sacraments are sacred rituals to mark initiations, milestones, and … Continue reading Ordination
Last night I finished reading Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene. Things being what they are in the world, I’ve been having a bit of trouble focusing on anything more challenging than Big Bang Theory reruns, so I was looking for something light and maybe even funny. This popped up as a dollar ninety-nine … Continue reading Beach Reads Without the Beach
This week when the Republican President and his entitled Secretary of Education demanded that public schools open full time/full service this fall, virus or no virus, OR they would lose federal funding, I became so upset that I turned off the computer, the TV, the radio. That was the straw. I couldn't stand to hear … Continue reading Time to Re-Open Schools?
I had something else laid out and ready to go this week, but coming up on the Independence Day Holiday, I felt a need to say something more. When friends ask how I am lately, I say cheerfully that I have my ups and downs. But this past week, after news of the Russians … Continue reading Pray For Our Country
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was dipping into Sleeping on the Wing by Kenneth Koch and Kate Farrell, an anthology of poetry and writing prompts written for children and teens. In a chapter on D.H. Lawrence, the authors note that Lawrence called his poems “acts of attention.” They prompt readers to give … Continue reading The Story of My Hydrangea Bush
Greetings! If you’re a regular reader, you know the past two weeks I’ve suggested some prayers that I’ve found helpful, and I continue to encourage everyone to write prayers and affirmations too. It’s funny, because almost as soon as the first post went up, I began to feel kind of down. And so I felt … Continue reading Continued Sheltering, part three
This week I want to share a prayer my late friend Craig taught me. It’s very simple: “Release into Essence.” Essence was Craig's word for Divine Energy or God. It’s a versatile prayer, appropriate to multiple situations, and adaptable to your own circumstances and beliefs. You may wish to insert your name for God--be it … Continue reading A Prayer for Trying Times
