Skip to content

A Grain of Salt Posts

I’m Not Sure How We Got Here

When I was a young mom with several children, I remember earnestly going to an older mom who looked like she had her act together and asking how she did it. I recall getting a vague blank look in return with the unsatisfactory reply, ” I don’t know. You don’t know! How can you not know? I was being denied. Or at least I thought so at the time. This week, Gary and I will…

2 Comments

The unsilent retreat

Back in December, I attended a silent retreat. While this was not my first silent retreat, it was my husband Gary’s. I convinced him to join me. I heard much scoffing about going on a silent retreat as a couple, but that did not deter me. I was eager for Gary to experience what I had experienced during my silent retreats.  All my prior silent retreats had been held through Catholic centers, and this one…

2 Comments

Sabbatical Meanderings

Need a refresher or some help on rest, check out this blog post Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love by Padraig O Tuama The Word in the Wilderness by Malcomb Guite Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons by Jan Richardson

Leave a Comment

You’re My Favorite

The exchange would go like this. My father and I would be somewhere, and in a moment of our banter, he would pause to say, you know Mary, You’re my favorite. My dad’s announcement was usually met with some playful opposition. Dad, you mean I am your favorite daughter in the room with you now? I had, after all, three other well-accomplished and beautiful sisters. So, I had to limit the terms. You’re my favorite?…

3 Comments

The Power of Caring

A Lesson Learned Over 20 Years In the course of my two-decade journey with the Institute for Cultural Communicators, there’s a profound life lesson that has consistently resonated with me. Before speaking to an audience of many or one, I often stop and remind myself, even repeating this saying. I’m eager to share this insight with you, urging you to open yourself to an idea that, while perhaps familiar, may hold more profound significance than…

Leave a Comment

I will follow

It is easy to think we are one way until something happens, and we see ourselves in a clear and new light. During a cold February, I went on a Caribbean cruise with my adult son, Andrew. He was leaving one job and had a short break before the new job began. I was on a month-long sabbatical. While he was hoping to include other family members, it was a case that those who had…

2 Comments