March finds

A few of my favorite finds in the month of March:

Top favorite: Mornings in Jenin, which I listened to as an audiobook.  This story holds so much - tragedy and hope, how war and trauma affect generations to come, and a more-than-compelling story of one of the most captivating conflicts in recent history.

Favorite video: As I again read Women Who Run With the Wolves with 2 friends, this wonderful video about How Wolves Change Rivers provides the perfect illustration of the need for the life/death/life cycle.

Favorite article: The beauty of simplifying childhood and why it is important

Favorite recipe: A simple and quick tilapia recipe.

Favorite song: I started listening to classical music when Leo came around, and I've been taken by The Planets, Op. 32: IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity.

Favorite quote:

“We don’t think ourselves into a new way of living; we live ourselves into a new way of thinking.”

— Richard Rohr

P.S. Do yourself a favor and sign up for daily meditation emails from the Center for Action and Contemplation.  Even in busy seasons, I can't fail to read these gems, which always bring me back to my Self and the bigger picture.

Favorite comedic relief: Leo, who gets goofier every day

Favorite new word: emolument - a salary, fee, or profit from employment or office.  From Arabian Nights.

Favorite product: This carved mahagony serving tray, bought on my trip to Lamu, Kenya.

February finds

A few of my favorite finds in the month of February:

Top favorite:
Favorite video: Television titan Shonda Rhimes talks about how playing with her children saved her career.

Favorite article: A fascinating article on how single women have become a formidable political force in America and what that means for our future

Favorite recipe: While being shut in to avoid election chaos, I made a double-batch of this delicious Thai coconut butternut squash soup

Favorite song: I can't stoplistening to The Civil Wars' new album, particularly Dust to Dust

Favorite quote:

From Spirituality and Health Magazine

Favorite comedic relief: Thank you, Saturday Night Live, for this gem: The Day Beyonce Turned Black

Favorite new word: invidious - likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others.  From Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Favorite product: This ceramic serving platter, made in Uganda by Vision for Africa

July reads

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A few great reads I came across in the month of July:

“The mystery of peace is located in the nature of relationships developed with those most feared.”

— John Paul Lederach

I'm currently reading a book called The Moral Imagination about "the art and soul of peace."  The author, a man who has worked to build peace all around the world, talks about the importance of relationships, authenticity, creativity, and knowing we are connected when it comes to establishing peace in places of violence.  I find it incredibly inspiring.

Because you won't hear about this on the news, here is a beautiful moment in the wake of the tragic Chatanooga shooting.

I work with young women aspiring to be leaders in their own contexts and often find it is the most personal, deeply entrenched issues that hold them back from their dreams.  This was a nice read, encompassing how we can naively prevent our daughters (and it mentions a thing or two about sons) from living into who they can truly be. Are You Holding Your own Daughter Back? 5 Ways to Raise Girls to be Leaders

Should universities go beyond academics and also teach us How to Live Wisely? Harvard thinks so.