Memoir Writing: Embracing Life’s Pivotal Moments
I still remember the beautiful sunny Friday, September 11, 1987, peeling carrots in the kitchen for my husband’s 40th birthday party. The baby wasn’t due for three weeks, but he had other ideas. As John returned home from the hospital, where he had just undergone chemotherapy treatment for his cancer, I said, “I’m sorry, but…
The Unfolding Tragedy in the Himalayas: A Personal Tale
You know how life goes. The day-to-day existence of food shopping, cleaning the house, scheduling a gentle yoga class. So much of the world news interests me. Still, most of it has little to do with my life—the Strait of Hormuz remains closed another day, Meta is forking over 17.2 billion because they created a…
Take Risks in Writing: Embrace Creativity and Justice
This week I scheduled a September 12 read-around. It begins the 17th season of the Women’s Writing Circle. Over the years, we have welcomed dozens of new writers in the Circle, a sacred container where women find their voice through writing. One of the reasons I do this year after year, and now it seems…
Healing Through Memoir: The Power of Writing
For many memoirists, writing is a heavy yet healing journey. They are willing to look back, for they know that the unexamined life isn’t worth living. They understand that pain, hardship, and loss often come with something else: the realization that their story is now one they can live with and fully embrace. Hopefully, the…
Cherishing Moments with My Aging Lab
I just got back from taking Lily for her annual wellness exam. At 13 years and 2 months old, a lab is already quite old. I know that our time together is coming to a close. But not yet. She has a healthy heart and lungs, and except for honking heavy breathing when it’s hot—a…
Healing Through Writing: Unburden and Move On
Writing as a way to heal, unburden ourselves, and move on is at the heart of why we write. The pain and injury we’ve endured, whether from a horribly critical or abusive family member or a total stranger—we make our stand and say what we have to say. Sometimes, we pull out a notebook or…
Reflections on Writing and the Concept of Heaven
For the last two weeks at my church, I’ve been taking a class on the history of the Nicene Creed. The Creed was written as an answer and a rebuttal to those who had proclaimed Jesus was human, created by the Father, and therefore not the eternal God. What struck me was the teacher’s description…
Beach Memories and Mindfulness
As I walked from the beach house where I was staying with friends toward the bay, I felt the long-awaited sunshine and heat on my neck and shoulders, the first gifts of approaching summer. I was born in July, a month of heavy humidity and friends away at the shore, making my birthday parties as…
Exploring Fear and Freedom in Writing
I am the first to admit there are subjects I might want to write about, but haven’t. I rarely write about politics because it’s unlikely to change anyone’s mind, and today’s worries will soon be behind us. I avoid writing about old age. Many social media and blog posts focus on illness, surgeries, or the…
The Beauty of Writing: From Chaos to Calm
There are times when it feels like nothing will ever shift, and then, in a heartbeat, everything changes. At daybreak, the sound of birds announcing a new day woke me as pale, washed sunlight slipped quietly through the bedroom curtains. Today, I am inspired to write. Immersed in The Ninth Hour, a novel by Alice…
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Along the Writer's Way 