“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.” —Annie Dillard, The Writing Life Tell me about how you structure your days.
How I Spend My Days Read More »
“We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them.” —Alain De Botton Tell me about a time you grew from your difficulties. Or what your difficulties are teaching you now.
Growing From My Difficulties Read More »
“An apology is a good way to have the last word.” —Dale Turner Tell me the story of an apology, given, or received.
The Story of an Apology Read More »
“Heartbreak is unpreventable; it is the natural outcome of caring for people and things over which we have no control.” —David Whyte Tell me about a moment your heart broke.
A Moment My Heart Broke Read More »
“When someone is struck by loss, there’s an openness to that which is beyond this world. When you really feel loss, when the ground is shaken, the veil thins and there is more access to the timeless, the eternal.” —Tara Brach Tell me about a time loss led to an opening or awareness you didn’t
“You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you.” —Joseph Campbell Tell me about a time this was true in your life.
The Life Waiting For Me Read More »
In the little rap I give my students about re-entry into “real life” after retreat, one of the things I recommend is not to talk too much about the experience, but rather to practice their newly-honed listening skills on their loved ones back home. I caution them not to make any hasty decisions—like quitting their
Writing as a Pathway: Re-entry Into Real Life Read More »
After last night’s celebration and Claire’s wonderful chocolate cake, it’s finally the last morning of the Writing as a Pathway Through Grief, Loss, Transformation and Change retreat. And what I see around me is laughter, hugging, connecting and yes, some tears. The tough part of a retreat is always when it’s over. So we always
Writing as a Pathway: Farewell Read More »
Before I left Commonweal, I had to take one last trip out to the Meditation Hut, aka the Chapel, aka the Shrine and probably a dozen other pet names. I like to lay on the straw mats out there, flat on the floor and talk to my mother. It’s one of the places I hear
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“The past has no power to stop you from being present now. Only your grievance about the past can do that.” —Eckhart Tolle Identify a story you have told repeatedly that keeps you locked into an identity you no longer want to define you.
Giving Up the Story Read More »
We’ve entered the most sacred time of the retreat, what I like to call “the heart of the retreat.” It’s the time when people are open and connected to whatever it is they need to write about, and those stories are being written. There is a tenderness and vulnerability in the air and the whole
Writing as a Pathway: Sacred Time Read More »
This morning, I told everyone in the workshop how proud I was of where they started on Day 1 and where they are today. Faces that arrived guarded and tight have grown relaxed and open. The power of mourning—sharing our losses, pain and uncertainty—in the midst of a loving, accepting community has worked magic. As
Writing as a Pathway: Transformation Read More »
We are at the heart of this retreat—the time when the writing gets real and down to the bone, when true words are spoken, when risks are taken, bonds formed, when we become a living, breathing creative community. We are tracking each other hour by hour. Laughing and crying and hiking and eating and writing
Writing as a Pathway: Sitting In Uncertainty Read More »
I’m writing this from my annual Writing as a Pathway Through Grief retreat at Commonweal. Commonweal is a large, comfortable retreat center in Bolinas California, butted right up against the cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. It’s a center that focuses on healing gatherings for cancer patients, and the sacredness and energy of those gatherings can
Writing as a Pathway: Words on the Page Read More »
Much of today was spent writing stories of grief and bearing witness to each other. In the morning, Evelyn talked about the difference between grieving and mourning, a distinction I hadn’t really understood myself. I’ve always considered them synonyms. Grieving is our own private experience of loss, the way we experience it in our own
Writing as a Pathway: Diving Into The River Of Grief Read More »
