Finding harmony with my surroundings — When I moved into my new apartment, I fell into the trap of wanting my space to be decorated with the wiggle of a nose. Alas, I was not Barbara Eden and the I Dream of Jeannie magic did not work. …

Reflections on Caregiving On June 19th, my mother peacefully left this earth. Since then, I’ve been reflecting on my eight months of intense caregiving, primarily how our presence can have an impact on others. For those eight months, I stepped into mom’s bubble, playing improv with Alzheimer’s while soaking up…

Cultivating Love Wherever You Are As 2022 comes to a close, I’m starting a new chapter in my hometown. My family and friends in Charlotte rolled out the red carpet with invitations and sent messages to check on me. It felt wonderful to be reacquainted with family, friends, and my…

What aspect of yourself have you not been in touch with lately? In college, I took a science class for non-science people. I don’t remember much; however, one thing the professor said stuck with me: “Over time, the winding river (now straight) will return to its natural state.” I interpreted…

Walk Through the Gates of Gratitude and You’ll Find Joy There’s no question the world is in a major crisis. In addition to the global issues that surfaced with the pandemic, we now have a war in Ukraine. Add a heavy dose of climate change and personal challenges and it’s.too.much…

How to find community in the present moment Feeding mom lunch and dinner each day has made me a regular at my mom’s senior community. Over the past three months, I have witnessed how the residents help each other, work through disagreements, and are in sync with how everyone is…

Sunday afternoon jazz concerts at the Triple Nickel I discovered Marjorie Eliot’s Parlor Jazz when my jewelry instructor’s friend came from Sweden to visit New York City. He was a jazz aficionado and made the trip to scout out jazz venues for his tourist groups. How did I not know…

My Heart-to-Heart Walk with a Stranger As I walked through Chelsea, I hesitated to cross the street at 20th and 8th. The crosswalk sign said “Yes, c’mon over to 19th Street,” while the blaring firetruck turning right said, “No, stay right there.” I paused. The woman next to me said…

How brunch with Jane convinced me to move to New York City A year before I moved to New York City, I crammed my curiosities into a tiny suitcase and headed to Manhattan for a long weekend. Did I really want to live in New York City? My three-day reconnaissance…