I recently came across a helpful word wintering Just as winter is a time of slowing down in much of the natural world author Katherine May uses this word to describe our need to rest and recuperate during life rsquo s ldquo cold rdquo seasons I found the analogy helpful after losing my father to cancer which sapped me of energy for months Resentful of this forced slowing down I fought against my winter praying summer rsquo s life would return But I had much to learn Ecclesiastes famously says there rsquo s ldquo a season for every activity under [... more]

Watching the morning crowd pour onto the train I felt the Monday blues kick in From the sleepy grumpy faces of those in the jam-packed cabin I could tell no one looked forward to going to work Frowns broke out as some jostled for space and more tried to squeeze in Here we go again another mundane day at the office Then it struck me that just a year before the trains would have been empty because COVID- lockdowns had thrown our daily routines into disarray We couldn rsquo t even go out for a meal and some actually missed [... more]

Su Dongpo also known as Su Shi was one of China rsquo s nbsp greatest poets and essayists While in exile and gazing upon a full moon he wrote a poem to describe how much he missed his brother ldquo We rejoice and grieve gather and leave while the moon waxes and wanes Since times of old nothing remains perfect rdquo he writes ldquo May our loved ones live long beholding this beautiful scene together though thousands of miles apart rdquo His poem carries themes found in the book of Ecclesiastes The author known as the Teacher observed that there [... more]