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Look for the helpers
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” ~Fred Rogers As Mister Rogers reminded us, there’s always hope and healing wherever you find the helpers. Late last week, for instance, I had two minor emergencies (one more critical than the other) that sent me in search of medical help. Despite the stress of it all, I was amazed at how quickly two of my doctors were able to see me — almost immediately — when I called their offices for advice. I can’t begin to express…
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“Winter gardening” in The Detroit News
“How many lessons of faith and beauty we would lose if there were no winter in our year.” ~Thomas Wentworth Higginson Today’s edition (Jan. 17) of Homestyle in The Detroit News includes a story about “gardening” in the winter. Design writer Jeanine Matlow interviewed me for the story and included a few of my tips on how to decorate your garden when it’s too cold to plant anything. You’ll recognize a few of my own winter garden photos in the piece. Subscribers can read the feature online or you can purchase a print copy of The Detroit News on the stands today. ~CL
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Wintering
“Over and over again, we find that winter offers us liminal spaces to inhabit. Yet we still refuse them. The work of the cold season is to learn to welcome them.”~Katherine May, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times Is there a winter-bound midwesterner who hasn’t toyed with the fantasy of Brian Wilson’s “endless summer” on a sun-drenched beach? And who doesn’t envy the pals who have condos in Florida or Mexico, and manage to escape winter entirely? But hold your mittens. I’m gaining new respect for “wintering” after a friend gave me a copy of Katherine May’s book of essays, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult…
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Remain calm
“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat any time.” ~Hermann Hesse Lately, a friend and I often joke that our blood pressure spikes every time we watch the news. Given the unpredictable political changes ahead, not to mention the devastating wildfires in California, it’s a challenge to remain calm while staying informed. The best we can do is to stay centered — especially when we wonder if everything around us is falling apart. “Sanctuary” is one of the most beautiful words in our language. It conjures images of a safe, holy place — a room or a building that offers an escape from…
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What we have
“Appreciate what you have, while you have it, or you’ll learn what it meant to you after you lose it.” ~ Frank Sonnenberg My heart is breaking for the people who lost their homes in the Southern California wildfires. I’m in tears whenever I watch a news spot showing devastated families left with nothing but ashes, memories, and the clothes they were wearing when they had to evacuate. I wish I could do more than donate funds to help them.* What would it be like to lose everything — your home, your entire community — in a fire? As today’s quote warns, there’s so much we take for granted until…
