A ruckus erupted outside my office window. I looked out to see a mob of magpies attacking one of their own. I raced downstairs, out the garage and gave them my stern mom clap and voice, as if I was breaking up a playground skirmish. "That's enough. You guys leave him alone. Off you go... … Continue reading Magpie Wisdom
This is my 3rd move in 3 years. I'd planned to keep the beautifully-crafted sturdy wooden doll house I'd ordered for my daughter as a "gift from Santa" when she was 2 years old. Maybe one day I'd gift it to my grandchildren. When I lifted the lid on the bin, it felt like one … Continue reading Feng Shui, A Doll House & Living Lightly
This morning, I woke up and looked out the window at the Rocky Mountains in the distance. It's been a year-and-a-half since I've moved into this home. Our last home had a full view of the Rockies to the west. We lived there for fifteen years. This home has a partial west view and more … Continue reading From past to present moment
I picked up my home phone message when I returned from my bike ride. I recognized the voice immediately, though it sounded frail and more shaky than I remembered. "Phil, it's me. I'm at the Rockyview." I'd forgotten about her. Back when the kids were little, I'd get a call once in a while. "Hello, … Continue reading The Right Wrong Number
My teenage son, my husband and I all stood in the kitchen chatting, as families now do, about the state of the world and what needs to happen. We covered everything from Jeff Bezos to the spread of Buddhism after the Chinese invasion. Photo by Burst on Pexels.com My take was (and is) that we … Continue reading Karma in the kitchen
It's the first full day of winter and I sit on my studio floor, cleaning out the old of last year to make room for the new. Chocolate-covered hazelnuts and damiana tea fuel my efforts. My clutter is most often piles of writing: pages of musings, poems, blog posts that never made it to the … Continue reading Washing away the old: December rain
I now know how she did it. My mom. I now know how she managed to raise us kids and create a life for herself while also supporting her marriage. She didn't do it all at once. Or all the time. I know this because I've now walked a mile in her shoes. Well, the … Continue reading 4 Tips to Navigate Motherhood
I sat on my front step in morning meditation, a practice I'd observed for nearly 10 years. "I am joy." I ran the affirmation through my brain as a mantra. My shoulders shirked it off. Nope. Not joy. I had no idea what joy felt like. I certainly couldn't conjure it. Happiness I knew, but … Continue reading A Vessel for Joy
My daughter sat down next to me as I was completing my morning meditation. "And may all beings benefit," I said with a bow. "Mom," she said, "what are Mayo Beings?" "What?" I asked. "You said Mayo Beings." Ah, yes," I replied. "I was saying a prayer for the tiny people who live inside the … Continue reading Meditation Mumble
Revisions continue on the upcoming book, The Yoga of Boiling Eggs. I went back and forth on whether to keep this piece in the manuscript. In the end, I removed it. It lives here now. As an adult, sleep came easy, but night-waking was never welcome. My head would swim in those darkened hours. Even … Continue reading Fear of the Dark
Stephanie Hrehirchuk - Author 