When my husband Will and I moved out of Los Angeles to the magical town of Ojai, people kept asking me "Are you retiring?” This video is what I had to say about that. It’s one of the ways I’m breaking out of what I call The Age Cage. What about you?
Today is my 68th Birthday. I grew up in a time when a "lady" never told her age. But since I'm not all that lady-like, here I am, telling you and the rest of the world. I'm choosing to own my age. But not be defined by it. So, I'm proclaiming this "My Year of [...]
What did you want to be when you grew up? For me, it was always a teacher. That is, until I became a student teacher. And my cranky supervisor, Mr. Eby criticized the “uneven borders”on my wildly imaginative bulletin boards. That, and a few more disillusioning experiences, was enough for me to give up that [...]
You know that expression “ask and you shall receive?” Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s not just some old adage. It’s a powerful tool for turning your personal muck into magic. Here's the story. A few days ago, I woke up feeling, well...“icky.” So, I went outside to the garden to meditate. As I [...]
I want to start by wishing you a Happy New Year. Now, I’m not so naive (or woo-woo) to think that all the muck in the world’s going to suddenly disappear with one big Poof. But I do believe that when we invite more magic into our lives, it creates a ripple effect out into [...]
I have a feeling you are too. In that spirit, I'm thankful to share this little story with you. The other morning I was (literally) up at the crack of dawn. I couldn't sleep. My mind was spinning with worry, fear and anxiety. Not just about the state of the world. But about someone very [...]
One of the joys during the Age of Corona has been dining in our magical backyard. Having a refuge from the insanity of the outside world has literally been a breath of fresh air. That is, until a sickening stench began wafting through the air. And took up residence somewhere around the mint and the [...]
When life knocked me down, hundreds of red dragonflies lifted me up. What I learned about them was so life-changing, I've been writing, painting and speaking about it ever since. (Here's the whole story if you haven't heard it.) I discovered that dragonflies spend most of their lives crawling around the bottom of a pond. And [...]
So, there I was. blissfully floating in the pool. Serenaded by a birdie choir. And dazzled by a crimson dragonfly fluttering by. Suddenly, my bubble was burst as a yellow jacket’s stinger stabbed the tender crease of my inner left arm. OW quickly became WOW. In minutes, my arm turned tomato red and swelled up [...]
Here’s my age-defying essay on MariaShriver.com. Writing “It’s Time To Break Out Of The Age Cage” was my birthday gift to myself. Having it chosen as a featured story on Maria’s Sunday Paper was the icing on the cake. Read here.
