On Resilience

A Forgotten Watch Is a Timeless Gift

I am moving slowly today, lethargic and dreary as the snow appears on my back porch.

Maybe it’s because I forgot to wear my watch. I’m out and about for two hours on this snowy Tuesday before I realize my mistake. And when I see my naked wrist, I am not the least bit fazed, which is unusual for me since I’m usually driven by time.

Right now I hear my friend David’s voice in my ear saying, “there are no coincidences.” David founded Kabbalah Experience, and I studied with him for a few years. Lately I’ve been examining old notes for my memoir, and wouldn’t you know I’ve stumbled upon whole pages about time:

On Food, Faith and Saying YES

How is it that both bad and good things happen in clusters? Three or four “similar” events within a short span of time. I don’t know why this is so, but it’s true. Don’t you agree?

Look High, Stand Tall and See Beyond the Frame’s Edge

Last week, just before bed, my son, Casey, asks, “How do you believe in yourself, Mom?”

Great question, and I love how in the midst of pre-pubescent hormone surges he is still “boy” enough to show his vulnerability.

The answer, of course, is neither straightforward nor prescribed. Time. Maturity. Having a passion. My inner compass. Perspective. Friendships. Success. Life experience. Love. These are all the things I might say, but that a ten-year-old cannot easily grasp. The truth is…the question of how you believe in yourself is intensely personal. What lights my fire might extinguish yours.

The Strength of Our Scars

The other evening I attended a lecture by Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses. You are probably familiar with the story of her dysfunctional childhood: severely burning herself while cooking hot dogs over a stove at three years of age; sleeping in cardboard boxes, rummaging through garbage cans for food; stealing; living in filth amidst cats and wounded vultures; and other terrifying incidents. Hers is a story where the children parent, but somehow, in spite of all the craziness, her parents managed to seed dreams and fantasies in their offspring, enough at least to help Walls and her siblings recast their lives.

Flying Dreams and Living The Life You Want

I can’t remember how the conversation started but in the midst of a family dinner, my sister-in-law’s brother, Eric, began to talk of strange dreams about flying.

“Tell me more,” I asked him.

“They’re so bizarre. Each night I fly somewhere else.”

Twenty Seconds of Courage

The title of this post is a line from the film, “We Bought A Zoo,” starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. The movie is inspired by a true story about a widower with two children who takes a leap of faith for the future by buying an ailing zoo complete with a decrepit house. What’s seems impulsive, even crazy, comes to heal and unite this family.

Shine

This is for my daughter, Rebecca. Sometimes shy, she seized an opportunity to speak on behalf of fourth graders at the school holiday party last week. She rehearsed until she had memorized all two paragraphs the teacher gave her, and then delivered the remarks with smiles and confidence. This…from a kid who gets speech therapy.

Pet Peeves

Aw come on. Who ate the last of the Saltines and put the empty box back in the pantry?

Why is the bread bag open when the rubber band to close it tight—the same one used to open the bag before you greedily grabbed two slices—IS RIGHT THERE? The bread is organic for god’s sakes, let’s keep it fresh for at least a few days.