cultivating the beautiful ordinary by sharing our tales and our tables
An outdated Chromebook sits atop my lap. A warning appears just before the screen turns black. Jiggling the charger, I turn it slightly counterclockwise, hoping for enough connection to power the laptop on once again. For years, this laptop has required a power cord to operate, as it’s unable to function on battery alone. Seated…
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I AM RADIANT, VIBRANT, AND MAGNETIC. These are the tender, yet bold, and, honestly, very necessary words a beloved friend strategically taped to my desk when I wasn’t looking. I’m in a season where the language I use to talk about who I am, my personality, and my strengths and weaknesses feels like it can…
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When my friend Ted died from esophageal cancer, he was my seventh friend to die in seven years. I was bereft. Ted and I had been close friends for thirty years. By his generosity, he inspired me to be generous, and he also fostered my love of travel. Because of him, I have had some…
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One recent Thursday, after wrapping up my work sessions for the week, I checked my phone. A thoughtful message from a friend pierced a pain that had been simmering inside, prompting instant tears that melted me into the ground. My head had been hurting for days. I was exhausted, and I knew there were emotions…
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I keep a small cylinder of colorful confetti within a hand’s reach of my desk for the moments that declare celebration. I borrowed this idea from one of my favorite authors who keeps a confetti popper in her purse for similar occasions. When I am on a Zoom call and I hear of a moment…
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November is here, reintroducing us to the holiday season. Thanksgiving has such a meaningful way of inviting us to slow down and remember the previous year. Remember. Remember your moments. Remember your feelings. Remember your stories that framed this year. Remember one another. Remember you.
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November is here, and we have upon us another year, another holiday season. Coming into this season, my heart is tender and yet free and filled with love. Much has changed from the first year I created a list, yet there is a comforting familiarity to the remembering that this holiday provokes within me. Remember.…
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Am I where I’m supposed to be? Do I have the inner strength, gentleness, and wisdom to venture out once again into the unknown?
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It’s early. The morning light still feels cold with sharp lines cutting between sun and shadow. I open the blinds and catch the sunrise climbing over the power lines and trees. With its light, I breathe in a sense of possibility as I turn to the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. And then…
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November is here, and once again, we approach the holiday season. This year brings opportunities that have been missing during the previous twenty-something months. Opportunities that invite us to engage with our whole selves, dysfunction and all.
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