Tag: gratitude

• Relationship with Self

  

  Lately I have been delving into my relationship with myself.   As life keeps me focused on the relationships I have with others, I am coming to realize the importance of the relationship with myself. When I say my relationship with myself, I really mean my relationship with God, the Divine, Source, Love, which is […]

  sparkleandzest

  July 8, 2019

  Note to self, self-expression

  beauty, emotions, friendship, gratitude, marriage, self-expression, spirituality

• When the Walls Fall Down

  

  13 years ago, at a Zen monastery in Japan, I found out I was pregnant. Makes a pretty good opening line to a story, doesn’t it? Haha! I had been living and training there for nearly 5 years. It was the day after our monthly osesshin (7 day retreat). My period was late. I was […]

  sparkleandzest

  March 16, 2019

  life, spirituality

  gratitude, in-the-moment, marriage, parenting, self-expression, spirituality, zen

• The Tiger-Roaring Rose Dance

  

  I want to tell you a story about my daughter, Rose. She just turned 12 years old. I remember the day she was born. I remember before she was born, the fierce tiger longing in me to be the best, most loyal, loving, dedicated mama I could be to this creature I had yet to […]

  sparkleandzest

  November 11, 2018

  beauty, creativity, parenting, self-expression, spirituality

  emotions, gratitude, mothering, parenting, spirituality, zen

• Gratitude

  

  Last weekend, the Roshi was on the island, Shodo Harada, a Zen teacher who is Japanese, 73 years old and maybe 5’3″. I lived and trained with him in Japan for roughly 5 years in between college and children. Usually when he comes, he offers a weeklong retreat which I am too steeped in motherhood […]

  sparkleandzest

  September 22, 2013

  spirituality

  creativity, gratitude, parenting, zen