Pearls of Reflection

I haven’t had much luck as a “wanna be birder.” To prepare for my first outing, I had dug an old pair of binoculars out of our cabinet. As the other birders stared with fascination at the apparently rare...

Mark and I have dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights for a long, long time. We’ve tried to spot them on numerous trips to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the North Shore of Minnesota, and in various...

There was a rhythm to her raking.Whoosh.Whoosh.Whoosh.Then, a bigger WHOOSHas damp leaves were tossed onto plastic tarp. Whoosh.Whoosh.Whoosh.WHOOSH. Againand againand again. As Raker surrendered to...

Last time I biked to this Evanston coffee house, I wasn’t carrying any cash. This time, I was prepared with a couple dollars. I immediately recognized him, although I didn’t remember his name. He was wearing...

As I obsessively tune into the relentless news cycle, I’m overwhelmed by all the chaos around me. Chaos within me, too. I have no idea how to respond. And yet, when I begin to feel this sense of powerlessness,...

I wake early to misty rain on dark windows, reluctantly arise, craning my neck to catch a glimpse of pink sky. Yes! I’ll venture out! I take the solitary path towards churning waters, pausing to...

For many years, I communed with the Buddha statue in the Peace Garden. During this time, I took photo after photo of him sitting among the fall leaves, the winter snow, the spring buds, and the summer...

A 15 kilometer hike doesn’t sound like much, but the elevation, rocks, roots, and uneven steps all posed a challenge to my knees.  There just aren’t opportunities to be a mountain goat in Chicago!   By...

As I packed for a pilgrimage to Ireland and Scotland, I was apprehensive about how the local people would welcome us Americans. Our president certainly hasn’t helped our international reputation. I decided...

There’s so much heartbreak in these devastating political times. I wanted to participate in one of the “Hands Off” demonstrations earlier this month. Instead, I was healing my own heart by taking a spring...