Have Portable Feeding Pump, Will Travel
Or: Wherever you go, there you – and your special needs child – are. Traveling these days can test the equanimity of even the most experienced meditator. Add in a special needs child with sensory issues, mobility limitations, a bunch of medical equipment, and the potential for seizures or other emergencies, and you have the […]
Wisdom & Patience
As of early May, I officially completed my first half-century of life. Here is my prediction for life after 50: Some things will get better and other things will get worse. My psychic powers are astonishing, I know. It’s easy to understand that things will change. The challenge lies in determining how I will respond […]
Renunciation: The Art of Letting Go
There’s a popular new show on Netflix that’s garnering a lot of attention: “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”. Basically, Ms. Kondo helps people get rid of clutter and organize their homes with the idea that getting rid of things that don’t ‘spark joy’ will reduce stress, generate happiness, and may even save your marriage. The trend right now seems […]
The Prison Is Made Of Wanting
Over the summer I had the opportunity to do a ten day meditation retreat in New Mexico at the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch with teachers Michelle McDonald and Jesse Vega Frey. During one of his dharma talks, Jesse said something that resonated with me and has become a bit of a koan over the last few months. This post is […]
Body
This post is a natural extension of my last post on self identity. Of the many components that make up our self identity, our body is often the one we most strongly identify with. Much of the course of our life is informed by the physical characteristics of our body; its age, shape, size, color, […]
Hope & Doubt
hope |hōp| – a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen: I hope this new medication works; a person or thing that may help or save someone: This new medication is our only hope; grounds for believing that something good may happen: The medical evidence gives us some hope that this medication will help. doubt |dout| – a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction: Some doubts exist regarding the effectiveness of this medication; feel uncertain about: I doubt we’ll see an […]
Worldly Winds and Second Arrows
“Monks, these eight worldly conditions spin after the world, and the world spins after these eight worldly conditions. Which eight? Gain, loss, status, disgrace, censure, praise, pleasure, & pain. These are the eight worldly conditions that spin after the world, and the world spins after these eight worldly conditions.” […]
“I see you, Mara”
Meeting life’s frustrations with grace and humility, and maybe a little humor. THE GUEST HOUSE This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who […]
What I Learned About Mindfulness From ABA Therapy
In my previous two posts, I talked about how my meditation practice has helped me cope with the struggles of parenting a disabled child. Sometimes, however, the opposite happens and Sarah becomes my teacher. Ask any parent of a special needs child what factors generate the most stress and frustration in their day-to-day lives and […]