Cheryl Richardson's Blog, page 25

A ring of fire

Finally free of the gusty winds that haunted us for most of the day, the night turned calm and cool. As the sun made its descent, a star appeared in the southern sky. I stared up at the midnight-blue canopy, listening to the stories and laughter coming from the small group of friends gathered around a fire in my friend Beth’s backyard. The smell of pine filling the air with a rich, musky scent that felt like home.

Throughout the evening, as we enjoyed the fire, we talked about an assortment of t...

Tethered to the sweetness of life

Earlier in the week, while on my way to the grocery store (my big outing these days), I saw an elderly gentleman I haven’t seen since the beginning of the pandemic. You may have read about him before in this blog and this week I thought I’d share his story again. It was such a relief to see he’s survived these harsh times. He’s a good example of the little anchors that keep us tethered to the sweetness of life. Here’s his story…

~*~

He walks the neighborhood nearly every day wearing a utility ve...

Priorities for the wisdom years

The sun is shining bright this morning, an unexpected gift after two days of strong winds and driving rain. It was supposed to remain cloudy but it seems the light has taken the upper hand. What a blessing…

As I sat down to write this blog, I heard a text chime and discovered an invitation to take an afternoon swim in the ocean. But I need to write my blog, I told myself as my fingers texted back, YES!

Seems the habit of challenging myself in ways that are fun and adventurous is getting the uppe...

I hope something good happens to you today

There are some days when I feel a sincere sense of weariness at the state of our world and I just want to find a small island in the middle of nowhere – one without internet or telephones – where I can fashion a small hut out of random sticks that will shelter me from the sun as I stare at the water for hours on end.

But then there’s reality.

Thursday was one of those days. By the afternoon I felt restless and spent and decided to run an errand in the hopes that a change of scenery would somehow...

The signals of spring

It was 7am when I stood on the back deck breaking up ice in the birdbath so I could refill it with fresh water for the little creatures who come to visit. I then filled a new feeder with a special treat. This year, thanks to my friend Susan, I discovered dried mealworms and we’ve been blessed with an abundance of bluebirds who swoop in multiple times a day for a snack.

Looking up at the old ash tree that hosts a variety of feathered friends (and an occasional raccoon family), I took a deep breat...

Permission to rest

Drizzling rain and blustery wind are making their presence known beyond my bedroom window. I left it open last night and this morning the room feels damp and raw.

I roll over and groan. Rainy Sundays are a mixed bag. On one hand, they inspire me to dig into projects I’ve been putting off, the ones that leave a delicious sense of accomplishment when all is said and done. On the other, they conjure childhood memories of having to stay inside on the last day of freedom before the commencement of wh...

How to stop redecorating hell

I’m taking this weekend off and sharing a story inspired by my friend, Louise Hay, back when we were working on our book, You Can Create an Exceptional Life. I find this to be a lesson worth revisiting.

Don’t break a habit, dissolve it.

We were lost.

My husband Michael and I were on our way to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, with our good friend Ileen. The three of us were attending a conference in the area over the weekend, which would also allow me the chance to meet w...

What the Royal tribe has to teach us

Last week I watched the interview Oprah Winfrey conducted with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. I hadn’t intended to see it, but when a friend who didn’t have cable asked to watch it on our TV, I happily agreed so we could enjoy some time together.

Turns out, the interview stayed with me all week. While there are a variety of thoughts and opinions about Prince Harry, Meghan, and the Royal Family, I choose to mind my own business. Having lived a portion of my life in the public eye, I know better ...

The exquisite beauty of ordinary things.

I just finished a zoom gathering with three girlfriends I’ve known for more than thirty years. We make a point of seeing each other now and then to reconnect and catch up on our lives. I always leave our get-togethers filled with gratitude for the remarkable nature of long-term kinship – soul family fastened to each other beyond space and time.

One of our topics of conversation today was about synchronicity and the things that happen when we’re in the flow. After reverse-engineering these experi...

When who you are is no longer who you used to be

Spring is in the air and I’m both excited and a little apprehensive. As the world starts to open up again, I wonder about the impact the global pandemic has and will continue to have on our lives.

And I wonder about how we’ll evolve from here.

In a way, it feels like we’re coming out of a storm. As we carefully open the door, step into the daylight and look around, many of us will begin to assess the damage. What’s left standing? What’s been lost? What do I want to recover or rebuild? And what n...