I recently watched a documentary on Amazon Prime Video called: Happy. It featured real-life stories of people around the world who, despite their circumstances, live happy lives. Something about the ideas presented in the show lingered in my thoughts for days.If happiness depends on our lives ... Read More >>
Health & Wellness
Camino: Day 8 – The Eve of Santiago
Our little group of pilgrims ranges in age from 42-years-old to 80. We have bonded quickly because of our common experience. We no longer need to ask someone to pass the coffee pot in the morning. Instead, we reach for it, pour a cup for our neighbor, break bread in the basket, drop half on our ... Read More >>
Turning 40 + 10
Bucket lists aren’t my thing. I would rather look forward to something purely for the joy it gives me in doing so. When it arrives—whatever it might be—I try to embrace it wholeheartedly and with a sense of wonder.In looking ahead to a certain birthday this year where I would turn 40 + 10, I ... Read More >>
What Makes You Crazy Happy?
If you are anything like me, the end of August can feel like the downhill slope on a rollercoaster. Without looking at the calendar I feel Labor Day looming ahead, signaling the start of school and a change of pace, and for me, the days become more structured and less spontaneous.As an evening ... Read More >>
What Brings Us Comfort
I’ve spent nearly two decades watching my son be comforted by a series of feathered raptors that live in our backyard. His coop full of noisy hens is his sanctuary, the place he feels most understood. I find comfort in silence. A quiet house, a long walk in the woods, or strolling along my favorite ... Read More >>
Mommy Sabbatical
I have been to Seattle Children’s Hospital so many times with my son that I’ve become weirdly numb to the routine. I watch, detached, as families walk through the doors seeking answers to impossible questions or treatments for an illness that seems to have no name.I’ve been there. I’ve done ... Read More >>
Caring for Today’s Children of Tomorrow
Each year, two remarkable guilds combine efforts to host the Seattle Festival of Trees at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. This year, the Dr. Forrest Flashman Guild celebrated their 40th year of fundraising for uncompensated care. At the same time, the Autism Center Guild raised money to help ... Read More >>