I have felt the need lately to return to Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Peace Is Every Step for reminders of how to find peace during this scary time. In his book this master of mindfulness points out that most of us have a designated place at home for most of our daily activities: a space for sleeping, eating, cooking, bathing. But many of us may not have a “breathing room.” Nhat Hanh suggests, however, we all would benefit from such a space, a place we can retreat to when we need to take a few deep breaths. This space could…

A dear friend recently sent me a link to an article on how to deal with the potential loneliness and stress caused by this coronavirus outbreak. It was such a good reminder to maintain healthy practices, like yoga and mediation, reading and journaling, crafting/creating/cooking, staying in touch with loved ones via phone/video chats, and taking regular news breaks. I would add getting outside for a walk in the fresh air when possible. My husband and I geared up our dogs for the holiday and created our own St. Patrick’s Day parade around the neighborhood. I was so glad we got…

Just kidding it’s all about me. I’m so disappointed in you that I needed to take a little break from you, America. I’ve felt a little sick all week, which is not surprising, given it’s Fall allergy season. But it’s not just the allergies that have gotten me down this week. I literally had to soak in a bath Wednesday, a luxury I haven’t enjoyed in a long time. It felt so good to show my aching body and my struggling spirit a little kindness, to give myself some intentional care. I added eucalyptus oil to help my breathing and…

On Tuesday I had the privilege of attending the first of the CHAT series. Chat is a series of live events designed to engage, entertain, educate, inspire and make change. The series organizers present “thought leaders, renowned speakers, celebrities and influencers to audiences around the world.” The series is beginning with a focus on women’s empowerment and the kick-off event was a chat between Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd at Kansas City’s own Muriel Kauffman theatre at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Rudd’s mother is one of the series organizers and his serving as the evening’s moderator was…

I think one of the challenges about social justice issues, and social justice films, is how inured we have become to them. Though we as Americans can fairly be accused of apathy—when one looks at voter turnout, for instance—I believe most people do care about justice. But so many of us feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of need, the expanse of injustices perpetrated around the world—from Selma to Syria—that we don’t know where to begin. Though we want to be “part of the solution,” we feel ill equipped to make a dent in such seemingly insurmountable problems. When I…

I haven’t posted about this yet because I’ve been too upset to respond in a measured way. But I’ve kind of had it. I’ve had it with a lot of the responses to Ferguson, and to Staten Island and to Ohio, and to countless other incidents. I’ve had it with the extremes on both sides. I’ve had it with the willful ignorance. That is what so much of this seems to be, at best: willful ignorance, or perhaps blind denial. The other option, of course, is outright bigotry. Unacknowledged yet unapologetic prejudice. I don’t know exactly what transpired between Michael…