When I think about what has made my life meaningful, it’s come from those experiences where I woke up. Events that rocked my world...
Spiritual Practices10
What Will You Do With the Rest of Your Life?
This question has been staring me in the face as my seventies flash by. When I was young it felt like I had all the time in the world to plot my future. Now my future has shrunk. I go to more funerals than weddings. I catch my children whispering behind my back, comparing notes on how I’ve slowed down. Fundamentally I have two choices: [...]
Pat Taub
When Loss Brings Up More Than I Bargained For
This past weekend I attended the memorial service for Connie Chandler Ward, one of the founders of Greenfire, a women’s spiritual retreat center in Tenants Harbor, Maine. Connie, a former Wellesley chaplain had been a spiritual mentor to me and many others. As I rushed out the door I stuffed a packet of travel-sized Kleenex in my purse, [...]
Pat Taub
Florida School Shooting, My Granddaughter Turns 14, a Hunger Striker & More
Florida School Shooting Like most of you I’m still in shock over Wednesday’s horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida. I can’t imagine losing a child to such senseless violence. I think of my granddaughter who will enter high school next year. It’s apparent that the initiative for gun control will not come from our Congress. It’s [...]
Pat Taub
Valentines for the Women in My Heart
What better time than Valentine’s Day to pay homage to some of the remarkable women who helped shaped me? My mother, Jane Conrad, provided me with a love for art, escorting me to my first art museum (Washington, DC’s National Gallery of Art) at age 9. I was awed by the marble columns and huge masterpieces in elaborate gold frames. Mother [...]
Pat Taub
My Cottage, A Weekend Retreat, Netflix Binging & More
My Country Cottage Last September I purchased a tiny, 1930’s cottage in Waldoboro. It’s a fixer-upper, and since I’m not handy with tools, I’ve hired a contractor whom I met with last Monday. I’m getting excited about the renovations, esp. the addition of a screened porch. My dream is to hold all day womens’ spiritual retreats [...]
Pat Taub
Death Doulas: Making Death Easier
No one wants to die, but what if there was a way to soften death, to make it less scary, to minimize regrets, and to make meaningful goodbyes? Enter death doulas, women and men trained to administer spiritual and practical support for the dying and their families. While many folk traditions and cultures have ceremonies to usher the dying into [...]
Pat Taub
Las Vegas, DACA, “The Sun,” Peaceful Images & More!
Las Vegas Bound! Tomorrow I leave at the crack of dawn for Las Vegas to join this year’s Women’s March on Sunday. Sister cities will be holding marches on Saturday. I have never been to Las Vegas and expected to die with this record intact, but a friend persuaded me to join her in Las Vegas. This year’s march has the theme, “Women [...]
Pat Taub
New Year’s Resolutions for Soulful Living
Many of us toasted 2018 with resolutions for improving our everyday lives, focusing on losing weight, eating healthier, and strengthening our close relationships. But what if we departed from the standard pledges and instead made New Year’s resolutions that cater to the soul? Think about it, if we all made just one soulful promise and kept [...]
Pat Taub
Family, COLD Weather, Cuba Travel, Gratitude & More
Upcoming Family Visit As I write I’m awaiting the visit of my oldest son, David, wife, Mel and kids, Jane (13) and Max (12) en route to Portland from Chicago to spend the New Year’s weekend with me. The bitter cold will limit our outdoor activities. I dug up a jigsaw puzzle and a checker game. Can I persuade the iPhone-addicted grandkids [...]
Pat Taub
Mary Oliver: Poetry For the Soul
When my brother started dating a few years after his wife passed, he was surprised that Mary Oliver’s name readily surfaced in conversations with his dates. Baffled he asked me: “Why is Mary Oliver so popular with women?” I explained: “She speaks to our soul. Her words go to the heart of our lives.” Mary Oliver, now 82-years-old [...]
Pat Taub