By Lisa Hoelzer I recently left the strict high-demand religion I belonged to for the past thirty years. The values and practices associated with my faith shaped every part of my life: family priorities, Sunday behaviors, clothing, friendships, political attitudes, and more. A few years ago, I began to be disillusioned not only with my … Continue reading If You Leave, Where Will You Go?
Stilling the Ripples
By Earl Smith One of the core ideas of Buddhism centers on the first steps on the path to self-knowledge. Here are some thoughts that might help you start on that journey. We’ll go together. *** Let your imagination transport you to a small pond somewhere within a leafy wood. Let’s say the time is … Continue reading Stilling the Ripples
The Silence of the Wild Dogs
By Dr. Elizabeth V. Koshy We had just settled on the playground of the Amravati University in a huge circle for lunch that day, when we noticed a few dogs, standing a few feet away from us, all looking towards us. A fawn coloured dog stood a little distance away from the other dogs and … Continue reading The Silence of the Wild Dogs
Blessings Come in Many Forms
By Leslee W. Kahler My husband and I had been married for about two years when Nekko came into our lives. I was visiting friends when on the way back to my car I spotted a small black and gray cat stuck in a tree. I climbed the tree part way and managed to coax … Continue reading Blessings Come in Many Forms
SHE: An International Women’s Day Write-up
By Mehreen Ahmed Editor's Note: International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th each year. Mehreen Ahmed wrote this essay on International Women's Day 2022. When God created Eve, he had created not a companion, but a woman of power. One who would be instrumental to the creation of human history. Her act, a single … Continue reading SHE: An International Women’s Day Write-up
Patchouli
By Julia Wilson My 21-year-old son and I are wearing, by happenstance, matching pairs of Birkenstocks. Yes, we live in a city which is the epitome of the liberal East Coast. I spend my days chatting with people who I wholly agree with on the subject of Democrats vs. Republicans, Trump, abortion, vaccines, social services, … Continue reading Patchouli
Watching Cricket with My Father
By R.B. Simpson Unsurprisingly, and like all my fellow boarders, the highlight of our school year was the Christmas holidays, straight after we had written our last end-of-year exam. Six weeks of unrestricted mayhem lay before us! We would rip our ties off and would be playing a last game of touch rugby on the … Continue reading Watching Cricket with My Father
Me and the Chandler Mall
By Debra White In mid-October 2001, a sprawling shopping complex including a two-level mall known as Chandler Fashion Square, opened in the East Valley area of Phoenix to rave reviews. Critics said malls were fading away and questioned whether the new mall would succeed. I shrugged off the doom and gloom. Someone always nitpicked, didn’t … Continue reading Me and the Chandler Mall
The Room
By Joan Hyams Schmitz It’s been a calendar full of days since the boy entered the room, dumping his backpack on the floor as he flopped onto his bed for a power nap. This brief, impromptu trip home served one purpose—a quick trip to the dentist to repair a chipped tooth. Once the incisor was … Continue reading The Room
Nightmares and the Monsters that Breed Them
By Susan L. League Dreams have always been a part of my life, especially recurrent, other-worldly nightmares. My imagination was and still is that of a child. Born and raised in the deep south by an unusual mother, who was schizophrenic, undiagnosed, and untreated, so everything was real to her. There were aliens, who planted … Continue reading Nightmares and the Monsters that Breed Them
Academy of the Heart And Mind 