My Writing

Since the day my daughter was born, I was never sure she really wanted to be here. By being here I mean in a body. Alive, embodied, and on the earth. My identical twin daughters weighed 4.1 pounds at birth, born at almost 34 weeks gestation, so they were little rugrats. The first one out of the hatch is known as Baby A and the second one as Baby B. When she and her sister were about two months old, I took them to a Jewish women's group I was part of, meeting on the new moon e

Really now, what matters most to you? Whether we are delving into a deep life review over the decades or considering the shape of our 2025, a few questions can frame our loving conversation with ourselves. This is the frame I use: 1. What mattered most to me (this year)? What gave me joy? What made me feel most alive? When did I have the most energy flowing inside me and experience the most openness to life? For me, there were three top things that made me feel super energize

Do you have a chronic health issue? A disease that has been with you for a long time? Do you feel fragile and vulnerable? I am in my late 60's and my health is good. I work at it every day. But I have chronic health issues that have plagued me for 25-45 years. I thought they were well managed until this year. Suddenly, my asthma was out of control, my interstitial cystitis was flaring up most days, and my piriformis syndrome got worse. Additionally, I was inexplicably gaining

My 90 year old friend is sad. He is living with the regret that he is not leaving behind a legacy, a body of work. His friends have authored books and started groups that have become large organizations. My friend is very lovable and loving. Whenever I get to be around him, I am happy. He is very intelligent and knowledgeable about literary things, and I always feel just a bit smarter after leaving his company. He is trying to forgive himself for not doing more. He is trying

A friend in her forties almost died recently from an accidental overdose. It reminded me that we never know when death will reach out for us. That thought reminded me of the Fourth Contemplation: "My life span is not fixed. Human life expectancy is uncertain; death can come at any time." The Nine Contemplations, written in the 11th century by the Buddhist monk and scholar Atisha, addresses the twisting, jeweled path of life and ultimately death. They are a quiet warning of th