I'm writing about cherry trees, in the middle of winter. Curious, I know. But as I look back on this past year, one of the things I'm most thankful for is the invitation to play with collage. This is the story of how that invitation came to be and what it means to me. The … Continue reading Enough: Invitations, Collage, and the Wisdom of Cherry Trees
"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)
Some situations call for excellent analytical skills, but generally, employing these skills directed at the people around us isn't helpful. It separates us. I try to 'understand' them, but without putting myself in their shoes. What if there is another way of seeing those around us? The phrase "It is" has been repeating in my … Continue reading Embracing the invitation of “It is”
"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
We cannot be free if we don't know what's holding us, containing us, or chaining our feet to the ground. We cannot be free if we don't recognize the voices that we mistake for reality. It's easy to mistake the way that we think about things, even the way that we experience things, for the … Continue reading Enough Already
"Be where your feet are." A few years ago, a yoga instructor suggested using this phrase as an intention for our practice that evening. "Be where your feet are" shot straight to my heart and hasn't left --the thought, not, unfortunately, the practice of that thought. Maybe the instructor was talking about being present, paying attention … Continue reading Belonging in my Feet
The other day, my boys were discussing world peace, an unusually weighty topic for the two of them. "I wish there were no wars," my 6-year-old lamented. "Yeah, me too," the 9-year-old added. "Why do people have to fight?" "You know, we could start by start practicing world peace at home." I suggested. The boys rolled … Continue reading Practicing Peace
Image from The Gift of Writing Sharing my words is hard sometimes. I don’t always like the emotions that crop up after I share. Sometimes I’ve wondered if I even should be sharing. What if I just can’t handle the aftermath? But the good things in life rarely come easily, do they? Just because being … Continue reading When You Realize You are Enough
Jessica Sanborn 