Cheryl Richardson's Blog, page 9

My guardian angel in steel-toe boots

We were in the middle of a massive construction project with men and women on scaffolding ripping stone from the front elevation of our home. A roof drainage issue had caused water to seep behind the external walls leaving the inside vulnerable to rot. Fortunately, we discovered the problem early but the fix would take months forcing us to live with a cacophony of hammering, drilling, and yelling nearly every day of the week.

My saving grace during this time was our handyman, Larry. On the days ...

Tiny little anchors

In the late 1990s, I spent one day a week visiting with and helping an elderly friend named Lucy. She lived alone in a big colonial house near Boston and each time I arrived, I’d find her waiting in her favorite wingback chair, dressed up and wearing a big smile.

Lucy spent all her time on the porch. She lived in this window-lined room because, she said, the light gave her hope. Next to her chair stood a small TV table – the center of her world – a place filled with the essentials that kept her ...

The Great Mother

I’m away this weekend and wanted to republish a blog from last spring in honor of Mother’s Day. Enjoy!

~*~ The Great Mother ~*~

Spring sunshine and brilliant blue skies are the order of the day as I stare out the kitchen window waiting for the kettle to boil. The six-room house I had installed for feathered guests up on the hill is already a kaleidoscope of fluttering wings as a host of sparrows and bluebirds move in and prepare their nests. It’s such a joy to witness nature’s allegiance to new ...

The perpetual dance of now and then

Never in a million years would I have expected to have a chance at a new childhood experience at sixty-four, but that’s exactly what happened.

My mom came to visit for a few days, which is a rare treat. At eighty-seven she’s quite fond of staying home where she has all the creature comforts she needs to feel safe and cozy. But lately, after losing both her cats within four months of each other, she’s begun to venture out a bit now that she’s free from worrying about leaving her “kids.”

She arriv...

Let me tell you a story

I was almost finished packing when the text chime on my phone interrupted my train of thought – a much-needed blessing. While I filled my suitcase with clothes, I was busy filling my mind with worries. Would there be traffic on the way to the airport? Will the flight be on time? Did I make a mistake agreeing to speak at Ileen’s memorial service? Was it too late to graciously bow out?

When I picked up my phone, I saw the words: Social Story Time!, a message from my friend Beth, and I knew exactly...

Simple daily habits that can change your life.

I’m in London this weekend to celebrate the life of our friend, Ileen so I’m resending a list of some of my favorite self-care habits.

Here are the things I do nearly every day to take good care of myself.

Wake up grateful.Drink water – half my body weight in ounces.Leave space in my calendar between appointments.Look for one thing in nature that astonishes me.Find a way to let good enough be good enough.Smile.Start the week by looking at my calendar and changing any engagement that make...

Navigating the pull of the past

Several people wrote in response to last week’s blog asking me to say more about how going back in time to revisit our lives (in my case by reviewing my photo library) can cause the ego to try and pull us back to the people and places we’ve outgrown. This is a big conversation and while it warrants a whole chapter in a book, I’m going to attempt to sum it up as best I can here.

We live in a world that promotes doing, not being. From the moment we’re born, we’re encouraged to achieve. As babies,...

Finding Wisdom in the Archives of Your Life

I filled a mug with Earl Grey tea and honey, pulled on comfy clothes, and cozied up next to my cat Wednesday on the living room floor, laptop in hand. I was about to go through my photo library to find images of our friend Ileen for a memorial service in London later this month. Instead, I fell down a rabbit hole into the past.

A photo library is a powerful tool for self-reflection and wisdom gathering. As I scrolled through thousands of images, it was as if I were drawn into a life review that...

Learning to carry on

It was late and I was driving home after attending a musical performance by Lisa Fischer, one of the gifted background vocalists from the documentary film, “20 Feet from Stardom” (she’s fantastic!). I turned off the highway when a voice told me to turn left onto a back road near our neighborhood.

Following the instructions, I meandered through the woods along the river when “We Carry On” by Peter Groenwald began to play on the radio. It’s a beautiful, haunting song about life and death and it ma...

What We Leave Behind: Reflections on life and legacy

It was a cold day here in the Northeast when I opened the shutters and discovered the world covered in white. I shook my head and thought, it’s the first day of spring and with the warmer temps last week, I thought for sure winter was done. But then I remembered our friend, Ileen. If Ileen were here she’d yell, “Queen, look!” as soon as the shutters were opened. “It’s a magic wonderland!” (She gave me the nickname Queen years ago)

Excitement was Ileen’s superpower. She could get excited about an...