Cheryl Richardson's Blog, page 2

Listening for the language of the soul

I woke at sunrise to find a veil of mist floating above the reservoir behind our home. Translucent clouds drifting over steel gray water, slowly vanishing in the rising amber light. It’s moments like this that make life bearable these days. Beauty in the midst of madness.

Each day, I do my best to find joy wherever I can. A tiny goldfinch trading seed with a friend at the feeder. A heron floating through the sky, her long, graceful wings effortlessly moving air. An autumn leaf aflame in its endi...

Why real change starts over a bowl of chowder

On Friday afternoon, I had lunch with two elderly neighbors at a local diner, where I was invited to try the best fish chowder around. They were right, the chowder was delicious and the conversation even better.

Both neighbors, now in their mid-eighties, know a lot about our town, its history and politics, and they had plenty to say about the changes they’ve seen over the years. They didn’t mince words, and I liked that. While it was obvious we didn’t agree on everything, it didn’t matter. We ke...

Love, the puzzle piece that fits

Threatening skies unleashed a downpour that sounded like a troupe of Irish step dancers rapping on the metal roof above my head. Then came the thunder and lightning. I instantly flashed back to a memory of my Mother. My brothers and sisters and I are huddled in the living room of our first house, a small three-bedroom ranch, terrified of a brutal thunderstorm parked over our heads. My Mother was doing her best to keep us calm in spite of her own fear.

“Don’t worry, kids,” she explained, sneaking...

The wisdom of regrets

As we celebrate Labor Day weekend here in the States, I’m rereading my book, Waking Up in Winter: In Search of What Really Matters at Midlife. A memoir in journal form, the book invites you to think more deeply about your wisdom years. Below is the first entry. Enjoy your weekend!

September 30th

I woke this morning to a cool breeze drifting through the bedroom window. It’s starting, I thought to myself. Winter will be here before you know it. Seems like only yesterday I was mixing compost and s...

Keep a spotlight on the spiritual dimension of life

It had been months since we’d last spoken, but as soon as we heard each other’s voices, we instantly picked up where we’d left off long ago. I was speaking with my friend and colleague, Dr. Joan Borysenko, and it felt like coming home.

In the course of our conversation about what we’d been up to in the last year, Joan shared that she had a “spiritual mentoring” practice helping clients to keep a spotlight on the spiritual dimension of their lives. She explained:

“Some clients are passing throug...

The siren song of a single moment

I stood on tiptoes, barely able to reach the top shelf of the linen closet in our bathroom. I was looking for a few special bars of soap I kept hidden to use in the outdoor shower all summer long. As soon as my fingers found the thick square block, I lowered it to my nose, making sure it was the scent I wanted – goatmilk and basil, an olfactory delight of sweetness and spice.

The package, covered in sturdy floral wrap, yielded the tape that held it together, making the paper reusable. So, I care...

Does AI belong in your wisdom years toolkit?

Recently in this blog, I mentioned that I’d taken a class in AI, wanting to learn how to use artificial intelligence tools in a safe, responsible, and smart way. Several people replied to the blog asking for more info about the class, so I invited the teacher to join us for a Zoom gathering this week. Please note a date correction – we’ll be meeting this Wednesday (8/13) at 12pm ET (9am PT). Details are below.

There has been plenty of media coverage about the power and perils of AI, which remind...

Herb your enthusiasm – let the garden win

I’m off today and this blog from last year is right in line with my plans. I’ll be back next week with some exciting news about an upcoming Zoom gathering on using AI to our advantage. You won’t want to miss it, so please save the date: August 20th at 12:00 p.m. ET.

~*~

After several days of rain, the garden is bursting with new life and, as the sun rises, a pollinator party begins. Now that the beds are flush with flowers and herbs, there are more hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies than ever b...

What if you don’t need a plan?

Last week’s blog about redefining retirement hit a nerve just like it did in 2023 when I first published it. Some readers wrote to say that they’d recently retired and were anxious to figure out what to do next. Others admitted to still working because they worried about how they’d fill their time if they stopped. And a handful of readers breathed a sigh of relief, feeling reassured that self-care and rest were valid new priorities.

When I decided to cut back on work more than five years ago, I ...

Allow what’s next to find you

I’m taking the day off and sharing a past blog in the hopes that it speaks to you in some helpful way.

~*~

It’s a cozy morning with light mist lingering over the green fields and clouds hovering so low in the sky that it feels like Mother Nature has placed a weighted blanket over the day to inspire rest.

“Take it slow,” she seems to be saying. “Let the day unfold.”

Speaking of letting life unfold, last week I had a conversation with a friend who is retiring from a successful corporate job that ...