The curious connection between activity and creativity
I often get questions from readers about writing. How do you build a writing life? I think it begins with two things: Schedule time to write. Do it as a daily practice. Schedule time to [...]
Fuel for the long run of Lent
Last week, my crocuses bloomed brave and bright. Today, there is a 100 percent chance of snow. We’re in the slog of Midwestern spring, which is not really spring at all, but rather weather that teases [...]
What are you longing for this Lent?
I went for a run this week in the woods. The subzero weather has abated, and things are beginning to melt. But the path shaded by tall, bare trees remains hidden from sunlight, and still [...]
How has the pandemic formed you?
On a Zoom call with my long-time running buddy Maryam this morning, the day in between her birthday and mine, we looked back at a year. Would we have imagined a year like the one [...]
The Thanksgiving Season has begun
Seven weeks from today is Christmas, and what we’ve come to call “the Christmas season” will come to an abrupt end. But when does the Christmas season begin? Most people complain that it begins earlier [...]
The surprising secret of transformation
I slip into my silent, dark house, shedding wet running shoes and jacket. In the kitchen, I pour a cup of coffee from the pot I made earlier and microwave it back to life. I [...]
Back on My Feet offers a path out of homelessness
My daughter skillfully navigates her Toyota through the dark, wet streets of downtown Los Angeles. It’s 5:30 a.m. and we are on our way to a run. “The area we are going, Skid Row, is [...]
Trail running in the dark
I park across the road from the entrance to the forest preserve. A few moments later, I am crossing the road with two of my friends to walk past the gate, which is still closed [...]
Ever feel like a “single mom”?
When my children were small, and my husband worked crazy hours, I would often complain that I felt like a single mom. I had no idea, really. Sure, it was hard schlepping the kids around [...]
Come run with us! Announcing a “couch to 5K” opportunity
I’m a big believer in goal setting, in saying out loud what you want to strive for and achieve. Just articulating a goal makes it a lot more likely that you’ll achieve it. Writing down [...]