Cheryl Richardson's Blog, page 16

Why I love cold water

The backyard looked like a scene right out of a children’s fairytale. Snow lined branches against a winter-gray sky, cardinals and bluebirds darting to and from the feeder, gentle snow falling all around me, covering the land in a soft white blanket.

I stepped into my cold tub and took several deep breaths to center myself as I overcame the shock of being immersed in freezing water. Then I began a video message to explain how a cold-water plunging adventure three years ago has turned into a life...

When little things matter

I was vacuuming near our Christmas tree when I bumped a branch and a pine needle punctured the tip of my thumb. It hurt for a brief moment as I wiped away the blood, but then I ignored it and continued vacuuming. Sometime later I noticed my thumb bleeding again, so I took a washcloth, cleaned it up, and finished my chores.

The following day, because of where the cut was located, I kept bumping it while I worked. It was hard to keep a Band-Aid on it, so each time I hit it, the cut grew. Finally, ...

An old New Year!

The wind howled and the rain flew sideways battering the windows with its fury. The storm began in the early morning hours and by suppertime, the birdbath and all the bowls I normally fill with seed were overflowing with water.

I stood in the kitchen listening to the commotion while stirring a pot of soup. That’s when I heard the tap, tap, tapping coming from my office. Curious (and a little nervous), I covered the pot and headed for the room to investigate. As I stood in the doorway looking aro...

A gentle, loving New Year

Stop and think deeply about this question. What would it mean to love yourself more in 2023? What would you like to change? Do more of? Less of?

Contrary to what you might think, you don’t have to make monumental changes to love yourself more. As a matter of fact, one tiny step, done consistently, could have a dramatic effect on your whole life. Seriously. Things like leaving the phone out of your bedroom, going out into nature every day – even for 5 minutes, exclaiming that your day is going t...

Best holiday recipe? Let life lead.

Earlier this week, I was having a conversation with a client who asked how my holidays were going so far. I thought for a moment and off the top of my head replied: The quality of my holidays is always dependent on what’s happening in my life at the time. This year it’s all about simple and quiet.

For some reason, my response surprised me. It surprised my client, too.

“That statement really sums up the best way to approach the holidays, doesn’t it?” he responded. “Rather than having all these ex...

How to keep things in perspective.

Take a moment to stare at this image below…really take it in.

Notice the colors, the countries, the clouds, and the vast amount of water. Then, notice the black nothingness surrounding it.

Fifty years ago, NASA’s final Apollo 17 mission launched to the moon and during the trip, a crew member took this photograph. It’s an extraordinary view of our planet.

I often look at this photo when I feel overwhelmed or when I start to take things too seriously. It helps me regain a helpful, existential per...

Through the eyes of an owl

Eyes like saucers, innocent and wise. Weightless and ready, just moments away from taking flight. Yesterday I had the privilege of releasing a barred owl in our backyard after it had been rehabilitated by the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick, Maine.

If you’ve been reading my blogs for a while now, you know how much I love wildlife and this organization has been one of our favorites to support over the years. They save thousands of birds and animals and I’ve learned so much about the wild worl...

A special treat for you

Last night our home was filled with howling laughter, catch-up conversations, Christmas carols, holiday gifts strewn across floors, tissue paper and ribbon, and family-favorite food placed on tables just so. It was our annual Christmas dinner for my family and it was an extra special event because it was also my dad’s birthday.

This morning, as I relived the evening while vacuuming, washing counters, and reorganizing the fridge, I thought about something meaningful I might share with you because...

Holiday advice from a snow queen

I shuffled down the hallway in my new holiday pajamas – a birthday gift from my sister Lisa. Fleece-lined and crazy soft, they have the words, “Snow Queen” splashed across the chest and it makes me laugh every time I catch my reflection in a window.

There’s nothing like staying in pajamas on a quiet holiday morning which is why I decided they’d make the perfect cooking attire to work in as I prepared my part of the Thanksgiving dinner we’d be sharing with friends later in the day.

As I removed f...

Today I am grateful

This month I celebrate the memory of my dad who passed in 2016. When I sat down to write this week’s blog, I recalled a visit with him while in the hospital and was happy to discover that I captured the memory in a blog. This week, in honor of Thanksgiving here in the states, I’d like to share my dad’s wisdom with you.

~*~ Today I am grateful ~*~

I spent this morning at the hospital with my dad who had a heart attack last week. He’s been blessed with nearly a year of good health thanks to kidney...