Let’s go fly a kite! For some of you, the invitation to fly a kite conjures up long ago memories. It may be true that you would need a GRAND reason to fly a kite. I had two GRAND reasons recently to fly a kite when I saw a kite festival announcement on my drive to my nearby gym. I thought, “That sounds like fun.” I had been thinking about and sensing a call to…
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When I was young, I didn’t give much thought to marriage. I set my eyes on school and the Navy. While stationed in Rhode Island, I found a friend willing to risk deeper conversations with me. I recall one conversation with my friend, Tina, that served as a guiding, grace-filled word to my unfolding future. She asked me what I wanted in a husband. I thought about it and quickly answered. At the time, I…
5 CommentsWhat inspires you? Recently, I traveled with two friends to Williamsburg, Virginia. We traveled there to spend three days together imagining and planning for the future of the nonprofit leadership work we crazily love. One of the restaurants we lunched in was named Food for Thought. We found the perfect place for women who share a combined 60+ years of training adults and students to communicate their ideas. The décor featured pictures of inventors, scientists,…
9 CommentsDuring February, I was on sabbatical from the work I do with the Institute for Cultural Communicators. Last year, I dipped my toe into a silent retreat practice with a 24-hour retreat and wanted to do an extended version this year. I traveled to a retreat center in Massachusetts to experience a five-day silent retreat. In my church and ministry circles, the idea of a silent retreat seems little discussed. I remember one dear friend…
6 CommentsI struggle to listen. I have spent years reading, teaching, and practicing active listening, but I still struggle. Some friends would claim I am a good listener, but I know my inner struggle to attend and listen. This struggle showed up powerfully on a recent visit to my 91-year-old mother. My mom, Maxine, is declining. She no longer can link my name to her memory, but when I walk in the room with my husband,…
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