“Why don’t you write about the Iroquois?” my son Anthony said. His eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. “The people who lived here had a Matriarchal Democracy. Perfect!” “Good idea,” I said. “It’s embarrassing how little I know.” Five (later six) Indian nations in the northeastern United States, as far south as Virginia, joined together in the […]

“Why are you giving a lecture?” a woman in the audience said as she stood up. Her voice was hard and defiant. A few others joined the chorus. They wanted intimate groups, creative exercises, and art, not lectures. I understood. Women and a few men had come to Omega Institute expecting a Marion Woodman workshop. […]

My friend Barb Cook shared a video of six squirming black puppies. I watched as a vet checked each one before handing it to an assistant for comfort. I’d wanted a pup for a year, but it’s hard to find a young rescue in my area. My son Anthony suggested I contact Barb who I […]

Two boys walked on the other side of Seneca Street. We were leaving the Climate Strike gathering on the Ithaca Commons. I watched these teenagers, one dark skinned with a snug T shirt showing his taut belly with loose pants riding low. The other kid was pale with red and white baggy workout clothes. He […]

“I’m afraid to die,” Vic said. His raspy voice was soaked with despair. I rubbed his tight shoulders while he leaned into me, his head resting against my heart. “I meditated and studied with wise teachers for forty years. Why am I afraid?”  I listened and loved him as he struggled. I hadn’t faced my […]

“I don’t want to move to Canada,” I said to my boyfriend Vic in 1967. “I don’t want to move either, but I don’t want to go to a war I don’t believe in or go to jail.” Those were the choices. “You’ll be 26 next year,” I said in a voice soft with hope. […]