A Mindful Life

When I worked as a case manager in mental health, I had a few clients on whom I had to keep a close eye, because they were in danger of water intoxication; drinking too much liquid can cause an imbalance of electrolytes that may result in death. However, for years people thought that only applied [...]

The following is a re-print of a post I wrote last December on my personal blog. I’ve discontinued writing at it, but at the time I received a number of comments and emails expressing appreciation for it. It seemed timely to re-post it here. Thus…

“Where is the dwelling of God?” This was the question with which the Rabbi of Kotzk surprised a number of learned men who happened to be visiting him. They laughed at him: “What a thing to ask! Is not the whole world full of his glory?” Then he answered his own question: “God dwells wherever [...]

And it is the mistress of me. We returned home from Houston, exhausted physically and emotionally. Then ordinary life engulfed us again: grocery shopping, cleaning, paying bills. We comforted ourselves by escaping into our routines and into our computers and books. I returned to my job on Monday. It was surreal. I walked into the [...]

I had a very, very, very bad day. So I bought myself a huge bouquet of flowers — roses and alstromeria, all cheerfully yellow. And some Golden Oreos (which are not flowers, of course). While I was settling in at home, my eye caught the cast of light on the a single white rose in [...]

Ooo, I want to read this! Must restrain myself from rushing out to purchase it, though. Rubble is the ground on which our deepest friendships are built. If you haven’t already, you will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and you never completely get over the loss of [...]

This is a view up a tree that burned out in the middle but remains alive today. Taken at Big Basin Redwood State Park.

It is National Library Week. Pay a visit to your local library! They provide a vital service; they could also use your support. Some links of interest: American Library Association The Library Network Library of Congress Internet Public Library Library Support Staff.com Library Support.net Library Statistics Program A Google search for “public library” and the [...]

OK, it’s not exactly the most important story of the week but people sure have strong opinions about the news that Cookie Monster will cut back on his namesake treats. –Brian Chin Read here what critics are saying about this truly mis-guided decision.

Emotions, in my experience, aren’t covered by single words. I don’t believe in “sadness,” “joy,” or “regret.” Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling. I’d like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic train-car constructions like, say, “the happiness that attends disaster.” Or: “the disappointment of [...]