Posts by Colette Lafia

Two weeks ago, I developed some sensitivity in my wrist and thumb joints. So along with my continual toe joint flare up, I am now handling wrist and hand restrictions. So today, when I went to yoga, and the instructor was leading the students in sun salutations, and I was trying to modify the poses,…

The other day at the elementary school library where I work, a note appeared on my desk, written by a six-year-old girl. It read: Dear Mrs. Lafia, thanks for being a great helper. The note was written in marker, and below the sentence was an illustration showing one big person and one little person, which…

After an emotional flood (this time from family events beyond my control),  I need to come back into myself. I must find some stability within myself, which I know is there. How do I come back into myself? First, by realizing that spinning outside of myself only creates a web for something else to get…

Emotions can be complex and  hit us strongly at times. But as the strong winds of an emotion overcomes us like a powerful storm, what keeps us anchored? Yesterday at work a young teacher told me she was pregnant. In the moment, I shared her joy, but later in the day, maybe because I was…

Recently my elderly mother, who is going through many health concerns, said to me,  “Our attitude is everything.” She has said this to me many times and usually I just complacently agree, but this time I paused and asked myself: what is attitude? And really, why is it so important. Right now I notice that…

As the Christmas lights and ornaments come off the tree, and I clean out the hallway closet  (finally), a tone of reflection fills the air. Over the past few days, I have been perusing my journals and notebooks from this year, reflecting on what were my greatest satisfactions, my most pressing difficulties, and my largest…