Cheryl Richardson's Blog, page 24

Grace under pressure

Last week I shared my success with losing weight and improving my health and several people emailed to ask for more details that might be helpful. There’s so much to say that goes far beyond losing weight and I intend to share some of what I’ve learned in this blog over the next few weeks. So, stay tuned.

In the meantime, this week I’m rerunning a story about an experience I had with my friend Melissa while in Maine a few years back. It’s one way I remind myself to choose kindness in the face of...

When hard work works

This week I celebrated a milestone. In February, after enlisting the part of me that loves a good challenge, I decided to use what I learned from swimming in cold water to take on a new goal: Emerge from the pandemic in better health then when I went into lockdown.

I lined up the right support, started tracking my food, learned how to balance protein, carbs, and good fats, and set out on a journey that has left me twenty pounds lighter and feeling good in my body in a way I haven’t felt in years...

Feline self-care wisdom

It’s a hot, steamy day here in the Northeast and I snuck out early to get a hike in before the humidity threatened to melt my motivation. I’m grateful to have developed the discipline during the pandemic to move every day in spite of the weather. After all, when you learn to jump in the ocean in the dead of winter, it’s hard to make excuses.

When I returned from my hike, I made myself some lunch, tidied up the kitchen, watered the garden, then sat down to work on this blog. After an hour of fits...

My guardian angel

It was early morning and the sun cast rays of light against the wall in my office. I sat down on my favorite chair and signaled for Wednesday, our black and gray tabby, to join me on my lap. As I settled into the seat, she jumped up and started to purr while kneading my shoulder. It’s a ritual we’ve shared ever since I brought her home nearly a year ago and when she does it, I feel like she’s infusing me with peace and contentment. Wednesday is the perfect meditation partner.

As I took several d...

Becoming a teenager again

For the last week, I’ve been feeling impatient and irritable. Slogging through tourist traffic near our home makes me want to scream. Trying to make dinner reservations to celebrate my husband Michael’s birthday felt like torture when I discovered, after several calls, that our favorite places were all booked – for months. Making decisions made me crazy. An invitation to dinner. A speaking request. What to cook for lunch? Where to buy pots for the deck garden? Whether or not to book travel plans...

Reverse engineering contentment

This morning, while searching through blogs for one to resend so I could take the day off, I found a message that feels important at this time now that things are starting to open up. I needed the reminder and I hope you find it helpful, too.

~*~

I’ve just come in from a run through our neighborhood on this beautiful, spring morning.  We’ve had rain here all week, which we really needed, and it’s good to have the sun back for a visit.

As I walked out the front door and began my warm-up, I stoppe...

What good shall I do this day?

Yesterday, with some exceptions, Massachusetts lifted the last restrictions on wearing masks and limiting people in public venues and when I set out to do a few errands I wondered what it would be like to finally see people’s faces.

At the first shop I visited, I found employees and customers in masks and was grateful I had taken mine with me. As I paid for my purchases, I asked the woman behind the counter about the new protocol and she explained that because it was the first day, they were uns...

A new practice called mindlessness

It was warm, 75 degrees, and rather humid for a spring day. I stood at the shoreline ready to take a plunge with my friend Libby, when she offered a challenge: “I’m going to stay in for ten minutes but if you don’t feel up to it, no worries.”

Okay, it wasn’t exactly a direct challenge, but because I’m competitive by nature (particularly with myself), I knew I’d have to give it a shot. Up until that point, I’d only jumped in and out of the frigid Atlantic Ocean so staying put for ten minutes felt...

Emerging from hibernation

I’m staring out the window at a million shades of green – chartreuse, lime, moss, and jade. As I shift my gaze from left to right, it’s as if someone ordered a Crayola crayon box filled with variations of only one color – a vibrant tribute to new beginnings.

This morning, as I lay in bed reminiscing about the previous week spent with a dear friend I hadn’t seen in over a year, an image comes to mind. I’m transported into the body of a tiny mouse who has left her winter nest and ventured out int...

Mother wisdom from the wild

She’s back. Like an elegant Queen, she sits quietly on her throne, undisturbed by the world around her. She’s strong, determined, clear on her intent. Her robes are made of downy, white feathers that shield her from the elements as she waits.

Wind. Rain. Snow. Thunder. She remains still through it all. She’s a mother protecting new life.

For several days now, I’ve watched the return of a Mute Swan who lives in our neighborhood. She’s perched on a nest in the middle of an island and she’ll be the...