Cheryl Richardson's Blog, page 8

Saying goodbye to a sea of memories

I pulled the heavy bowl from the library shelf and emptied its contents onto the floor. Glass spilled across the rug – tiny gems collected over more than twenty-five years. When my friend Johnny told me about a neighbor who made jewelry from sea glass, I quickly asked if she took donations. In my quest to pare down possessions, I thought she might provide a good home for my collection.

“Yes,” Johnny told me after making a call. “She’d be very grateful for the gift.”

I carefully spread the glass...

If you love books, you’ll love this

I’m on break this week and sharing a reader’s favorite blog I sent a few years back. If you love books, please take the time to check out the video I mentioned (even if you’ve seen it before). It’s well worth your time. Enjoy!

~*~

My friend Bruce is a great guy – smart, funny, and someone who always knows just what to say when you need a friend. We met years ago when I was a guest on a radio show he produced in Boston. It was one of those meetings when you know in your gut that you’ve been reuni...

The politics of personal growth

We’d been talking for over an hour when the subject turned to politics and I felt a charge of energy run through my body. I knew we shared different views and I wanted to stay centered and kind. These days, I’m using the heated political climate as fodder for growth despite how uncomfortable it is. As a matter of fact, I’m using it because it’s uncomfortable.

Here’s what I have so far. We bring our history to every encounter. While it might look like I’m having a conversation with a friend, for ...

Then this happened…

I had just finished recording my latest rendition of Happy Birthday on the piano and pressed send on the text message to my friend Jules. Last September, after I began taking lessons, I figured out how to play the melody line to Happy Birthday so I could text loved ones a musical message. Along with wishing them a great day, I promised to send a new and improved version the following year as I continued to learn how to play.

My latest includes the melody and chords – a big step up for this begin...

Shredding the Past

I glanced at the armoire in my office last week and thought, I’ve got to clean that thing out. It’s a tall, three-door cabinet that I bought as a gift to myself when I decided to convert my traditional office into a salon more than fifteen years ago. In the armoire, I placed all my work-related items – office supplies, files, computer, etc., so the room would be an elegant space for both myself and my guests.

Over time I stashed more and more stuff in this cabinet to the point where it became ne...

From Loneliness to Laughter

We piled into the car enjoying the last rays of sunlight before afternoon storms moved in. We were about to spend a few hours poring over clothes at a vintage clothing sale in Boston. As we turned onto the highway, we giggled like school girls as we talked about dating later in life, hiking adventures, and how happy we were to be together.

Staring out the window, I thought about the gift of friendship and how this area of my life has changed so much in the last few years.

I spent a good amount ...

Putting an end to group showers

It was early Saturday morning when I decided to take an outdoor shower to start the day. Last week’s heat had finally taken leave and as I stepped outside, I noticed the birds were back in full force feasting on sunflower hearts and oranges in the cool morning air.

As I stood in the cold water waiting for it to warm up, I thought about an email I’d received the day before and began crafting a reply in my mind. Once I started washing my hair, my thoughts turned to a car appointment I needed to c...

Teach your mind this new trick

It was the middle of the day and I’d spent the morning texting and emailing with the caregivers supporting our parents. By noon I felt overwhelmed, so I closed my laptop, turned off the phone, and put YouTube on the TV. I searched for a quick exercise routine from “Get Fit with Rick” (he’s great!) and hit play. Within fifteen minutes, I felt centered, calm, and ready to handle the rest of the day.

Years ago, I learned to link movement with stress reduction while losing weight and getting in sha...

I’m not ready to retire

It’s a cozy morning with misty rain lingering over the spring-green fields and clouds hovering so low in the sky 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 of more than fifteen years. “How do I plan what’s next,” she asked with excitement and trepidation. “I’m anxiou...

The Way of the Wise Elder

In January of 2012, during a TedXWomen talk, Jane Fonda referred to the last three decades of a person’s life as the third act, a developmental stage she sees as a staircase leading to: “the upward ascension of the human spirit bringing us into wisdom, wholeness, and authenticity.” Jane sees age not as pathology, but as potential. Now that longevity affords us another second adult life, we have time to evolve even more before we die.

I’ve held her perspective close over the last seven years. The...