There’s a shrub in my backyard that produced prolific blossoms this year. I counted eighty. At one point, the bush was so full of pink blossoms that it started to bow. I wondered if I needed to put a stake in the ground and tie some of the branches. But when I touched the shrub, the older flowers, the ones

One definition of beautiful is ‘pleasing the senses, possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, smell, or think about’. Lovely. Gorgeous. Charming. Stunning. Striking. Superb. I could use all those adjectives to describe my most recent journey to New Zealand. The country has been named the most beautiful country in the world. It’s no wonder, and

The Bliss of a Good Night’s Sleep A meditation teacher I know liked to say, “Forget the pearly gates. Some of us just want a good night’s sleep. A poor man’s Nirvana.” My younger self laughed at this line. Spiritual enlightenment seemed far removed from something as ordinary as sleep. Recently, however—after crossing several time zones across the Pacific—I understand