"How does this become bread?"
Building character is like baking bread. The question is not what flour is or what dough is. The real question is how does flour become dough, and dough become bread. This analogy offers me a moment to reflect on my parenting and my life. Read the rest of this entry »
Today is Mindfulness Day 2011. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the practice of developing presence in all aspects of our lives—whether we are working, driving, or having dinner with our families. A state of constant, peaceful presence is the goal and result of mindfulness. Read the rest of this entry »
Grand Lake, Colorado
Loneliness is not about being alone. Yet, we tend to use these words simultaneously and have self-imposed fear of being alone because we don’t want to experience loneliness. Read the rest of this entry »
A Bell You Shall Be | a meditation for parents is my most popular post to date. This is interesting on several fronts, and most especially because it is closest to my heart and it is profoundly simple. It is not some great intellectual piece, it has zero research to substantiate it, and carries a message that every conscious parent is trying to hear. Here’s an invitation to you to capture the essence and expand on the premise of A Bell You Shall Be. Read the rest of this entry »
Can you see the cloud in your tea?
I wrote this poem at the Mindfulness Retreat. I did not have any one in particular, and yet all who suffer from the notion of loss, in mind. When I returned home, a dear friend’s father passed from this life. In honor of my friend, I share this with you. Hope this brings freedom to your suffering and peace to your heart. Read the rest of this entry »
When conditions are sufficient, you manifest peace.
My Dearest Children,
It is your nature to reflect reality as-it-is. When conditions are sufficient, you manifest peace. When conditions are insufficient, you manifest ill-ease. Read the rest of this entry »
My greatest challenge is being present for the gifts of the moments, allowing what the moment is offering, open to receiving all God has for me.
My first meditation with Thich Nhat Hanh, fondly referred to as Thay by his students, speaks to my heart. Read the rest of this entry »
It is impossible to put into words what I have experienced in the past 3 weeks during my mini-sabbatical and mindfulness retreat. In fact, as my teacher says we should not talk about that which can only be experienced. I share this journal with you for this reason: to show how easy it is to increase mindfulness into daily life. I begin each morning with an affirmation and end each day with gratitude. This practice takes less than 5 minutes, and the effects are immeasurable. Every small step we take to add mindfulness and concentration increases our insight. May we not be so busy that we forget to be mindful.
Last night I saw the trees, this morning I see the forest.
I am constantly awed and amazed at the scenery along my bike rides. I love to see how others live and create their own peace within the whole.
I can’t always understand the discrepancies in life circumstances. And probably more notable is the discrepancies in peoples’ perspectives. I must constantly ask myself from what vantage point am I choosing to see my circumstances. Read the rest of this entry »
Heaven's reflection on Earth
Thank you to two dear friends who are learning to live and love more fully, and sharing it with others. One has simply summed it up for us: “I am not busy, and I am not sorry.” And the other has beautifully written it in a poem. They essentially say the same thing. One may resonate more clearly for you, so I share both. Read the rest of this entry »
© 2010 mychildsgardener.com
My Child's Gardener by Michelle M. Bross is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
