Comfort & Joy

Sixteen years ago today my older sister died of breast cancer. She was in her late 30’s and I was in my mid 30’s. I’ve spent the last sixteen years trying to find a way to cope with the tragedy of the experience. It really broke my heart and the…

I had a choppy night, awake on and off all night. As I face a long day at work, do I respond with anger or with compassion? The definition of compassion is: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong…

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…

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…

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…

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…