We recently rode by what used to be our favorite Vermont bakery. It’s been closed for quite some time, sadly, but it used to be a scrumptious, creative, community-minded bakery. The path to the front door cut through a garden so vibrant and eclectic that it always put a big smile on my face. I…
When my daughters were younger, they played basketball. One afternoon, the week before Christmas, Linda and I sat for an hour on a hard, plastic bleacher seat in the high school gym and watched their game. The game was competitive, the referees were above average and there was an amazing moment where my younger daughter’s…
White Christmas is a film my family has watched together since our girls were toddlers. With Bing Crosby’s voice, Danny Kaye’s comedy, some wonderful music, and great dance routines, it has become a beloved holiday classic. And much of the story plays out in Vermont! A few years ago we saw White Christmas performed as…
Sing While There is Voice Left by Trudy Boyle I read a book, as a young 20 year old living in Montreal, called Sing While There is Voice Left. It was written by a theologian and I remember nothing specific about it, other than the title. The title, however, has stuck with me my entire…
The beginning of the New Year is seen as a transition for many of us. It’s a time to step back from our life to reconsider where we’ve been and where we want to go. In some respects, it’s really not a very big transition. It’s a much bigger transition to get married/divorced, have a…
This is our first full day of the Fall Naikan Retreat. It’s the 30th year I’ve had the privilege of conducting these week-long pauses where people can step back and take a look at how they have lived their lives. From the very beginning. If you were a fly on the wall (a dangerous profession)…
[evc_dropcaps letter_font_weight=”600″ letter=”M” letter_color=”#1c1c1c” text=”ost of us have very busy lives from the moment we wake up in the morning. We shower, we make breakfast, we wash dishes. We work, run errands and go shopping. We clean our home and repair things that break. We engage in recreational activities we enjoy like hiking, biking, yoga…
An enjoyable way to come to closure at the end of a year is to make a map of the year on a poster board (or flip chart paper). The result is a collection of reflections that captures some of the key highlights of the year. If you have a partner or family, this can…