Cheryl Richardson's Blog, page 30

Evolution calling

I stepped outside just before sunset, to add a little birdseed to an empty feeder because I have a raccoon who comes to visit for a late-night snack. As I turned to walk back into the house, I noticed something watching me from the edge of the yard. A small red fox curled up on the grass, lay hidden under a low-hanging branch. I stood very still, holding her gaze for a few minutes before she popped up and darted into the woods.

As soon as the fox disappeared, something strange happened ...

Let’s get through this together!

This weekend, I experienced classic New England showmanship. Yesterday, I woke to snow falling over the burgeoning green fields in our backyard, and this morning I welcomed the first hummingbird of the season to our deck feeder.

What a gift, I thought to myself, as I watched the tiny bird take several sips of sugar water. Ive been awaiting her return from the long, harrowing journey down south for the last two weeks.

When it comes to Mother Nature, you dont have to look far to find strength...

The Great Realization

This morning, as I filled the bird feeders, changed the water in their bath, and tended to the seeds Ive started for the deck garden, I thought about how I used to rush through these daily chores to get to the gym or to attend a meeting for work, pre-pandemic.

Puttering had become a luxury and finding time for household chores was often an annoyance.

After nearly two months of sheltering in place, Im noticing a shift. Without the support of a housekeeper, Ive discovered that my husband...

The Great Reversal

This morning, I went for a hike with my friend, Beth, at our local state park a 450-acre haven of gardens and trails along the shore of the Merrimack River. These days, the parking lot is usually full and the trails are scattered with socially-distanced humans (and dogs) walking, hiking, or jogging through the woods.

Sometimes, as I move along the familiar paths, I secretly pray that the park works its magic on everyone who enters. I imagine the sweet smell of wild honeysuckle or ancient...

Let’s not go back to how it used to be

My nervous system is beginning to acclimate to this new normal and I have to admit Im starting to like it (most of the time).

This week, while zooming (is that even a word now?), with a friend living in Spain, I realized that shelter-in-place has taken on new meaning as I continue to explore the ways in which this pandemic is affecting our familys life. As hard as its been to put the business on hold, and to have to rethink future plans nearly every hour, Ive come to imagine the phrase...

Welcome to a whole new way of life

I woke to the sound of chickadees singing life into spring, bluejays squawking, and woodpeckers tapping a rhythm beneath it all. As I lay in bed listening to Mother Natures soundtrack, I thought about how our lives are changing in dramatic ways over a short period of time.

While theres much to grieve the way things used to be, the loss of jobs and businesses, the broken systems that must be replaced, or the comforting touch of a loved one, theres something quite significant and wonderful...

The Hero’s Journey

This past week, I noticed a ticker-tape of to-do projects running through my head as I walked around the house during the day. Go through the bedroom closet and look for clothes to donate; empty the trunk in the basement filled with letters and photos from the past twenty years; prepare revised plans for the fall retreat; wash the kitchen floor; and the bathroom; and the hallway.

The list continued to grow as my eyes noticed every little thing that needed to be done around the house.

This...

Help is on the way

Last Monday, I recorded a Facebook Live that offered three things:

A way to instantly calm your body to help reduce your stress and anxiety. A tapping exercise to help you metabolize the extra cortisol that might be running through your system these days. This exercise can not only help relax your mind and body, but it can also eliminate fear and help you to fall asleep or get back to sleep if you wake in the middle of the night. A self-care assignment designed to not only lift your spirits...

Pointing to the light

Yesterday I had a conversation with a good friend, Sarah, who told me a story about her brother and his family that I wanted to share with you this week.

Turns out, her brother and his two young boys are serious sports fanatics. Sarahs brother is a soccer coach for one team, and his sons play the game on two other teams.  His wife, a faithful fan, spent weekends chaperoning the kids from one event to another, often in different states, sometimes having to stay in hotels in between.

My friend...

A call for compassion

Yesterday, a friend sent me a video of two women fighting over toilet paper in a grocery store. Can you believe this insanity? my friend asked.  Whats happening in the world?

Good question, I replied.

What is happening when two grown women start fighting in a grocery store, yelling, and screaming, and flailing about?

Two words:  Emotional regression.

The adults have left the room and the children are now running the show. And it happens to each of us nearly every day.

When we get scared or...