Nourishment, ease, and illumination

I’ve got my vision for this new year: nourishment, greater ease and illumination. 

Starting by considering what matters most to me, I see that I want a nourishing life, with family, friends, and community; my professional writing; enjoying good food, laughter, reading, making time to visit museums to see wonderful art, practicing and studying the dharma, walking in nature, and savoring the miracle of life, with gratitude!

My goal in life is to add my light to the sum of light. This doesn’t require me to save the world—which I can’t—but rather, to do what I can to help with suffering or need in living beings who are right in front of me. I want to be able to help nourish others. 

I think a good life includes generosity. I always carry $5 in my pocket to give to someone unhoused or undernourished. I give to the Capital Area Food Bank and Martha’s Table in my community, and the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) to help with serious starvation around the world, such as in Gaza and Sudan at present.  

Nourishment, both spiritual and corporeal, is a big part of an illuminated life. This starts with nourishing ourselves. We can’t help others if we are undernourished. 

In the fall, I started making a fresh soup every week, both old favorites and experimenting with new recipes. My soup guru is Rebecca Katz, artist and author of five healthy cookbooks, including Clean Soups, which includes delightful garnishes such as polenta croutons and parsnip chips. Her soups have always been my favorites. She has a “cashmere soup line” of ultimate creamy, smooth, perfectly flavored recipes, such as Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashew Cream. OMG SO good, this is my family’s all-time favorite. 

Rebecca taught me to make a pot of soup every week, and to freeze one quart of it. (I use glass Mason Jars, leaving plenty of room at the top—an inch or more—so the jars don’t explode, and thus avoid the endocrine disruptors in plastic.) Pretty soon, you have an excellent library of soups on hand to defrost in a pinch or share with hungry friends. When two of my dearest friends were packing up to move recently (while working full-time), I popped by with jars of soup. They said it kept them afloat! 

Being able to feed people is the best. 

During Dr. Mark Hyman’s recent podcast with Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel (12/17/25), 6 Simple Rules for a Long, Healthy Life, which I enjoyed, they discussed the benefits of trying one new recipe a week and building a solid repertoire of sure-fire, go-to recipes so you can feed yourself, friends, and family with ease. That’s my new challenge. 🙂I had slipped into stir-frying most evenings since I live alone. Certainly tasty, healthy, and easy, but limiting! I want to entertain friends and family more often. Striking out in new directions is fun, and several recipes so far are keepers. 🙂

Social connection—i.e., hanging out with family and friends, or even chatting with your favorite barista—is the number 1 factor in increased longevity, according to multiple studies (see podcast mentioned above).

Essential!

The Buddhist Sangha I attend, The Center for Mindful Living provides deep community, nourishment, and illumination for me. I act as a (trained) True Refuge Companion for sangha members who are suffering, such a gift to us both. I have two dharma practice buddies: one a young doctor in Atlanta and one a retired professor my age in Chapel Hill, with whom I reflect and share support, resources, and wisdom. After 28 years of practice, independently and in classes and retreats, I am deeply grateful for the fruits of the practice, which are luminous and profound. 

It’s a beautiful life! And over the holidays, my studio took a long break, allowing me to focus on life itself, apart from work, and think about how I want it to be, as I am aging and moving toward just doing my writing and Mindful News instead of web writing and design, which have supported me for 15 years. 

The break allowed me to see how much space, light, and breathing room there could be in my life when I’m free to focus more on all the above: the things that matter most.  

So encouraging!