by admin | Jan 16, 2014 | Uncategorized
The day had arrived that we had anticipated for so long. We loaded our new canary yellow Fisher mountain bikes in the back of a borrowed pickup truck and mom drove us to the outskirts of Austin. She parked under a shade tree in front of a little country church and...
by admin | Jan 9, 2014 | Uncategorized
When I let go of what I am I become what I might be. ~Lao Tzu~ It was my favorite kind of Central Texas evening. Early April, the oppressive summer heat hadn’t yet descended upon us and the air was warm, the breeze gentle. It was just right for shorts and...
by admin | Dec 2, 2013 | Being Present, Bereavement, Caregiving, Hospice
“On a scale from 1 – 10, rate your general sense of well-being.” Dr. Bob Friedman, the chief medical officer for CTPCA – Central Texas Palliative Care Associates – looked at my brother-in-law expectantly. “Pretty good. I would say it’s an 8,” Stuart responded. He’d...
by admin | Nov 25, 2013 | Being Present, Bereavement
With good reason, holiday seasons are among the most emotionally difficult times for people who have experienced the death of a loved one. Holidays may be difficult no matter what you try to do or where you go. Be gentle with yourself. Below are some tips that may...
by admin | Jul 19, 2013 | Uncategorized
The purest and truest spiritual life begins with accepting everything that comes to you as a gift and teaching…. The most difficult times sometimes bring the most important teachings. Each lesson is another step toward learning how to accept what comes to us as...
by admin | Jul 2, 2013 | Being Present
“The present moment, like the spotted owl or the sea turtle, has become an endangered species. Yet more and more I find that dwelling in the present moment, in the face of everything that would call us out of it, is our highest spiritual discipline. More boldly,...
by admin | Jun 3, 2013 | Volunteering
Last week at a Hospice Austin Volunteer Forum (an educational event held quarterly for our volunteers), about 20 of us were having a wonderful conversation with one of our doctors about the physician’s role on the Hospice Austin team when a visitor to the group raised...
by admin | Apr 26, 2013 | Being Present
If last week had been a fish, I would have thrown it back. It seemed that we couldn’t turn around without encountering another heartbreaking story or situation. The Boston Marathon bombing; the devastating explosion in West, Texas; a destructive earthquake in China;...
by admin | Apr 9, 2013 | Uncategorized
I cannot exist without in some sense taking part in you, in the child I once was, in the breeze stirring the down on my arm, in the child starving far away, in the flashing round of the spiral nebula. ~Catherine Keller~ ...
by admin | Mar 21, 2013 | Being Present, Bereavement, Uncategorized
This is our choice in every moment. Do we relate to our circumstances with bitterness or with openness? ~Pema Chodron~ If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place. Primary reality is within; secondary reality without. ~Eckhart Tolle from The Power of...
