When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
An excerpt from When Death Comes by Mary Oliver
At a restaurant this week, I had breakfast with a couple who recently got engaged. While we were perusing the menu, they started negotiating about what selections they could share. She wanted one thing, he wanted another. But they were trying to come up with items that would please both of them. It was one of those moments that I was happy to be single. I got to choose my meal without interference or compromise.
Knitted breakfast by Jessica Dance
We’re at the start of an unusual 4-day rainstorm in L.A. and the ground is seeping. Rose, my 14-year old dog is quite content to stay indoors. Not used to being hampered by weather, I’m already getting restless.
Illustration by Tracy J Lee
The last time I had an aha moment was when I decided to become a Career Coach. It was during a lunch with a friend who was describing a coaching training in which he’d just enrolled, and it was as if a jolt of electricity went through my body. In a flash, I knew the next path of my professional life. In reality, that aha moment was years in the making, but the sudden clarity felt exhilarating. Have you had that experience?
Photo by Katie Paterson
These days, I find myself a lot less bored. I’ve come up with 2 explanations:
1. I’m now more appreciative of each passing moment.
2. I put myself in fewer boring situations
What bores you the most?
Photo by Jaime Rojo at Brooklyn Street Art
When I was kid, I was a picky eater, just like my Dad. There was a dividing line in the family. While my mom and brother would scarf down exotic things like green beans and lamb chops, Dad and I only hungered for toast and chocolate ice cream. As a growing child that wasn’t an option, so the compromise for school lunches was peanut butter and jelly. I consumed that sandwich every day for years, and never got tired of it. After all the rich food this holiday season, I’m ready to get back to basics.
Painting of pb&j by Oriana Ingber