Nesting with Perseverance
There’s a cactus outside my office window that’s between three and four feet tall. We planted it two or three years ago and it’s really taken hold (no blossoms yet, but I remain hopeful that one year it will be mature enough to bloom!). A couple of weeks ago, I...
Being Aggressively Positive
Over the course of my adult life, I’ve worked hard to be a positive person. On the Enneagram, I’m a Four, which means (in part) that I’m susceptible to depression and negativity. In fact, I struggled with depression for many years. Fortunately, some gifted...
Roses and Mother’s Day
It’s a beautiful season for morning walks here in the desert. The temperature around 5 am is between 60 and 70 degrees and the skies are usually a clear blue, though occasionally morning clouds reflect the approaching sun in spectacular colors. Those colors are also...
The Alchemy of Love Amidst the Ravages of Time
Once again I have been blessed by my work. Even in these challenging times of pandemic, I am fortunate to have sufficient editing and writing work to keep me busy. This past week, I had the opportunity to proofread the transcript of a series of talks by Cynthia...
Celebrating Earth and All Our Fleeting Lives
This past week, many of us celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day. The early years of this movement led to the passage of powerful environmental legislation that the current American administration is working hard to undo, despite the very real threats posed...
Quarantine: Scarlet Fever, Leprosy, and COVID-19
I had a video conversation with an elder friend this week. As she entered her second month of sheltering in place, she looked back on time spent in quarantine as a child with scarlet fever. One memory that caught my attention was how the postal carrier was willing to...
Embracing an Eastertide Attitude for a Fearful World
Christ is risen! Yesterday was Easter—but Easter is not over. While our culture tends toward the belief that a holiday marks the end or conclusion of a celebration, the church does not. There are a dozen days of Christmastide and a full fifty days of Eastertide. This...
Dying Alongside Us
It’s Holy Week: the week leading up to Easter. This is one of the two most important weeks in the Christian Year (the other is the celebration of Christmas). In this week, we remember Jesus’ final days of life as a human being: his last supper with his disciples, then...
I Don’t Want You to Leave
A few days ago, on my morning walk, I passed a very poignant scene. A young boy, probably five or six years old, stood on his tiptoes, leaning into the passenger window of a red sports car. Clutching a stuffed toy, he cried out, over and over again, “I don’t want you...
Receive a complimentary download of Shirin’s latest e-book, Lakeside Lessons when you sign up for her enews!