This fall, I kept running into the word: Unfold. When this happens, I try to pay attention. What is this invitation about? Rainer Maria Rilke’s words had struck me deeply:“I want to unfold.Let no place in mehold itself closed,for where I am closed,I am false.” And then a week or so later, these words in … Continue reading Unfolding
On New Year's Eve, I said good-night to my 11-year-old, and the weight of a decade hit me in the chest. Where were we 10 years ago? In another life. Another city, a different house, we only had two kids, neither in school yet. Time and circumstances have reshaped the way we spend our time … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Live Yes? (On Marking Time and Living Forward)
"What are the major turning points of your life?" A friend asked me this question about a month or so ago. I knew without hesitation that leaving church and leaving my career in short succession was a major turning point in my life. Everything changed after that. Everything. I know that I've told pieces of … Continue reading When Leaving is Just the Beginning
"The sun comes up and we start again. The sun comes up and we start again... Be here now." Mason Jennings sang me to wake this morning with words that I needed to hear and carry with me today. They echo words from St. Benedict that I have tucked into my heart: "always we begin … Continue reading Why I always begin again (and again)
Sprouts! I've spotted two so far. Tiny tomato sprouts from seeds that I planted 8 days ago. Seeds that are a few years old because last year I had a tomato tragedy and my plants weren't able to produce fruit. I've been checking for signs of life a few times a day since I planted … Continue reading Rejoicing in Sprouts
"I believe that the most important single thing beyond discipline and creativity is daring to dare." Maya Angelou When I think of daring. I don't usually think of me. But I have been daring lately. Daring to be content. Daring to be happy with me and the life that is mine. Daring to be unapologetic … Continue reading Daring Contentment
"May you be blessed with good friends, And learn to be a good friend to yourself..." John O'Donohue Today is my birthday! This year it feels especially significant because I get to celebrate being 40. And I feel like celebrating. Not with a big party. That's not my style. But by being with people I love; … Continue reading On Celebrating 40
I've been contending with empty pages for a while now. Empty journal pages—pen poised in my hand for 30 minutes and the page still blank. Empty word documents—cursor blinking and not a word to type. Empty pages sometimes feel like failure. In a few days, I will be staring down another blank page. For the … Continue reading Welcoming Empty Pages and Spacious Places
My daughter had a giant-sized, shallow sliver sticking out of her finger. It could have been an easy, quick fix. I reached for her hand. She hid it behind her back and frantically screamed: "Don't touch it!" But I can get it out. "Don't touch it!" You can get it out. Why don't you try? "Noooo." … Continue reading Let’s Make Space for One Another Instead of Trying to Fix Each Other
The other day I packed up half of my closet. I don't know what happened, but my clothes shrunk. The clothes that used to be just a bit too loose are now too tight. Or even unbuttonable. Sigh. I cried a little. Maybe even more than a little. It felt like I was being invited … Continue reading A Poem and a Prayer in Honor of Expanding
Jessica Sanborn 