Categories
belarus family

Returning to Belarus – A Journey of Discovery

I’m on an airplane to Belarus and I find myself a bit teary. Not quite sure why, but it just feels like I’m feeling the sadness of my family for having been such a long time away. A return to this place is assuredly bittersweet in the hearts of my people. My grandmother Sonia Breinin […]

Categories
growth love nepal

Unlearning to Unlove, an Unorthodox Path to Love

Love is not a learning, but a growth. All that is needed on your part is not how to learn the ways of love, but how to unlearn the ways of unlove.” ~Osho Unlearn the ways of unlove. Let that sink in for a minute. It’s a peculiar phrasing, I know, and one worth re-reading […]

Categories
life love

Eyes of Compassion

People who are special are very good at making other people feel special. It’s a well-honed talent which has it’s roots in humility and kindness. Joyce Hayes was a master at making others feel special. Although she just recently passed, she left a flotilla of people in her wake who, thanks to her generous heart and love, have […]

Categories
love nepal

Inexplicable Sweetness

It’s 3:30pm, and one by one the children from my Khan Academy math class start entering the room. It is difficult to express how sweet it feels when little Gita, or one of the other children pauses before entering, asking, “May I come in, brother?” “Of course you can, sweetheart” I reply, “You never have […]

Categories
nepal

Love and the Nepal Orphanage Underbelly

I’ve been volunteering here for a week now and I am so glad that I’ve made this choice. The sweetness and connection with the children is very reaffirming. I’m a bit torn, however, as I’ve learned more and more about the world of orphanages and volunteering in Nepal with its often dirty underbelly. My education […]

Categories
spirituality

The Judgment / Love Switch

There isn’t anybody, as far as I can tell, about whom I don’t carry some form of judgment. I discovered this earlier this year while I was on a retreat and as I looked around the room at a large group of people whom I know fairly well. Was this true? I tilted my head […]

Categories
Eastern Europe

VIsiting Auschwitz

I went to Auschwitz and Birkenau today, and it was a challenging experience. I hated my guide. It was a hot day here in Poland and the trip over in a minivan with 6 other backpacker-types already proved challenging. Feeling anxious, my heart was beating fast and I was imagining myself being transported to the […]

Categories
speaking the truth

Speaking the Whole Truth – A Path to Authenticity

The more I am honest with myself, the more I realize that there is a distinct split between what we present to others and that which is actually our truth. This is not something that is necessarily intentional. We generally don’t mean to lie to others, and in many ways what I am talking about […]