Blog Posts

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. I will once again be sharing my signature Italian dinner with the CWP  on a break from her current dog sitting gig. Otherwise, it’s a Thursday. (The part of me that is blissfully grateful for that soothes the part of me that sometimes wistfully recalls gatherings of yore.) Right on schedule, I feel myself going into the assessment mode that seems to strike me as a new year approaches. This year, though, I feel a slight difference; my t

I used to run from silence as if my life depended on escaping it. And in a way, it did. Never having a moment of quiet or stillness is what allowed me to live a life that now makes me cringe; a life where I appeared to be fine but was slowly dying inside. This fear of silence perfectly complemented the ingrained sense of unworthiness that drove me to be constantly busy and striving for further achievement. From the moment my feet hit the floor in the morning until I fell into

As the holidays approach this year, I realize that my dread of the season has significantly lessened (perhaps a silver lining of estrangement ) but my habit of reviewing the blessings in my life (you can read about that here and here )  is entrenched. This year, in addition to the evergreen items on my gratitude list (my gorgeous sanctuary, my continued solvency, my progress in healing and thriving), there’s plenty to add to the list: Complete recovery from last year’s back

I’m sure it’s just frequency illusion (like when you decide you might like to buy a red car, and suddenly red cars are everywhere), but lately I seem to be haunted by this advice. If you want to fight the despair engendered by our inexorable descent into fascism and corruption… If you want to grow… If you want to save the planet… If you want to find peace… If you’re suffering from burnout… If you want to leave a legacy behind… …create more and consume less. Of course, the see

I’m over the moon. The book I’ve been working on for years, the record of my transformation, is finally available for purchase. You can get your copy here: Rising by Christine D'Arrigo | Blurb Books Getting the book published has been a learning experience. Given that I’m basically looking down the barrel of seventy (and that I’m fairly impatient), I ultimately opted for self-publishing. What I didn’t expect was that producing a high-quality book would preclude making it avai

Some years ago, after reading The Gift of An Ordinary Day , I became a fan of the writer Katrina Kenison. Her observations are both quiet and profound, and I loved that she was a humble, thoughtful person; reading her work felt like communing with a friend. Following her blog over the years, I found a lot that resonated as she shared about the changing seasons of her life. Last week she posted “You Can’t Have It All”: a meditation on things she could  celebrate in an incredib

A while back, I discussed my desire to work toward change through understanding and education . As part of that effort, I decided that I...

[The following is another piece written a few years ago when I was exploring alternative formats for storytelling.]   DON’T LEAVE HOME...

The intentional part of the reboot was an incredible ten-day meander through Europe (three cities, three nights each). The trip not only...

A while back I shared some of the frivolous questions  that keep me entertained. There are always more where those came from. The latest:...

[While attempting to clean out some files after submitting my manuscript, I came across a few pieces I’d written several years ago, in...

This week I’m thrilled to announce that, over the weekend, I finished the final edit of the manuscript for my forthcoming book Rising:...

This week I feel compelled to issue a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to young women in their twenties and thirties who are eager to...

Some time ago, I shared my recipe for an exceptional day . Now, just back from a week-long trip to New England, it seems I’ve hit on the...

Recently, I came across a reference to LeavingMaga.org and decided to check it out. Their mission statement is as follows: Empower...

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” Toni Morrison The past ten years have whizzed by, jam-packed with more...

There was a time when I would have said that I was definitely not a procrastinator: if something needed to be done, I got right on it....

I’ve never been (and suspect I never will be) commended for having the patience of a saint. In fact, I generally uphold both the Aries...

It seems that remaining steadfast in my resolve to find joy and purpose as democracy continues to dissolve is becoming an almost...

A big part of my daily life of late has been making an effort to stave off the negative effects of aging. Ironically, this is one...