Man, am I happy I began reading Zen and the Art of Happiness by Chris Prentiss earlier this week. Just moments later I would be greeted by my lovely five-year-old daughter asking me to accompany her in her bedroom. Attempt number one of getting her to sleep… It would take many attempts last night. None … Continue reading Zen and the Art of Happiness: Springtime Soul-Searching
Tag: emotional wellness
Rebirthday Invitation
Mindfulness is an invitation to be grateful for one’s life, for the blessings which one has, and for the natural surroundings that surround us always. It is an antidote to jadedness. It is a vessel in which to hold one’s pain; a container for one’s joys. It is accessible always. Upcoming Renewal: My Bday, Jewish … Continue reading Rebirthday Invitation
When Things Don’t Seem Right, Keep Going
It’s so hard to keep going when things feel awry. Much easier in the moment to curl up into a ball and hide. But the truth is, much like my 4 yo daughter’s experience with completing her puzzle this morning, sometimes the only way out of the confusion is to keep going. To try things … Continue reading When Things Don’t Seem Right, Keep Going
Fast-Paced, No Grace
When communication comes down to texting without contextWhen you’re surrounded by hundreds of people and yet no one is really there for youWhen you relate through a persona and not your actual authentic selfIt’s no wonderThe world moves so fastHow can we be authentic to others when we don’t even truly know ourselvesWhen we try … Continue reading Fast-Paced, No Grace
Satiety—of an Intellectual Sort
In Grace after Meals in Judaism, a Biblical verse is quoted in the third paragraph, “and you will eat, and you will be satisfied, and you will bless.” I’m no stranger to the hunger-fullness scale, I use it both personally and professionally—I am a dietitian after all! But is satiety only about physical fullness from … Continue reading Satiety—of an Intellectual Sort
When You Give a Kid a (Chocolate-Covered) Cookie
My daughter hasn’t celebrated as many Purim holidays as I have so when we were gifted with some chocolate-covered Hamantaschen, her reaction, which initially surprised me, was quite appropriate. Instead of taking a bite out of it, she began to pick away at the chocolate covering with her finger nails, then later a fork which … Continue reading When You Give a Kid a (Chocolate-Covered) Cookie
What’s a Purim?!
A story the director of Hillel told us at a meeting once that someone passed by a flyer in the student lounge about a Purim event and said “What’s a Purim?” As in, a lot of the school body celebrated it, but many did not, and some did not even know about this more minor … Continue reading What’s a Purim?!
Birds Atop Trees and Phone Wires
For you, it’s simple chatter For me, it’s all that mattersFor stuck inside these four wallsI hear how nature callsI no longer feel unsettled and alone Wherever I go, in Nature I find home
Remember
This week in synagogue there is an extra portion read to remember the nation that attacked the Israelites when they were weak, Amalek, the nation from which Haman, the villain of the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim, originated. Remembering can be helpful when times are difficult: Remember when you were strong, centered, when life was … Continue reading Remember
What is “Keeping Up?”
I recently wrote a poem called “If you can’t keep up maybe you’re not supposed to.” Sometimes one can’t keep up with the fast pace and demands of life. Other times, on the outside they’re doing well, but inside they’re struggling—having to shunt their emotional life aside in order to keep up. The following article … Continue reading What is “Keeping Up?”
Mindful Nuggets 