A lighthearted song...I hope it brightens up your day, bringing back some good memories--your own or maybe your kids' or grandkids'.

This strange mirror, this odd form of grace, though uncomfortable, has on occasion helped me see myself a lot more clearly.

My first discovery of the use of dialog in journaling was back in the mid-1980s, not long after I moved to Charlottesville.

I focus on my breath. I get distracted. Oops. Okay. And again. So many times that I feel like one of those toys on a string...

An absurd fantasy--I mentally roll my eyes when I read it. Yet when I decided to write about mindfulness this week that essay came to mind.

I'm sorry he is in such pain. It is not a fun place to be. But with great power comes great responsibility. And if that power is abused...

"Looks like we just gave ZZ Top a shave & crewcut!" said Celia. We looked at the huge and tangled heaps of grape vines we'd just pruned off.

Anti-Anxiety Tool of the Week: Jiggling This is one of my favorite ways to reduce stress. Just jiggle your entire body, gently but...

Beauty is all around me--it hasn't gone away. The trees, the sky, a bird, an odd little insect. How to breathe in beauty & be in the world?

I didn't go quite as far, brave quite the storm--or cold--that I thought I could. Or should. But I did...

Quotations, in a sense, are stories in miniature. Here are a few of my current favorites.

Forgiving ourselves, we learn to forgive others. Allowing our own foibles we are, hopefully, more able to accept imperfection in others.

Perhaps I am naive, but my idea of a leader is someone who inspires you to be your best self, not one who bullies. Not an enemy-maker.

Today I want to share two poems that continue to touch me. Perhaps you can rest in the tenderness and freedom they offer?

When I was twelve years old I met an extraordinary man. He didn't look very extraordinary. Dressed in monks' robes, he had a shy smile...

Compassion leads to a life of power *with* others. Judgment leads to a hunger for power *over* others.

Courage does not always shout. Hope does not always flare. Sometimes it is a small brown mouse who sneaks out...

We all need support to be brave, less anxious, to lean a little bit more into love. So I continue to share these little pieces of hope...

Here is the list of all the tools in all the toolkits so far. Or consider it an atlas of maps. Take what you like and leave the rest!

This weeks tools? Admit your frustration. Swish your feet around. Talk funny. Hand to heart. Accept your humanity.