We are on a train north to Toledo, the chosen home of the artist, El Greco. Leaving the vibrancy of southern Spain’s Andulucia, we travel toward the land of Cervantes’ famous Don Quixote, a landscape now peppered with stainless steel…
#3 The Spanish Butterfly Blog: Everyone Whom We Have Loved
The ancient coastal town of Cadiz, Spain feels like it’s in a time warp. Roman artifacts, narrow winding cobblestoned streets, wrought iron balconies, and antique churches create a sense of timelessness. The Phoencian fishermen who settled here in 800 BC…
#2 The Spanish Butterfly Blog: Holding Space for Pain
Ah Sevilla! The beautiful land of flamenco, polka dots, paella, sangria, orange trees, Moorish architecture, painted fans, and labyrinth-like streets. Oh how I love it! And during Easter Week, Seville is home to one of the largest Semana Santa celebrations…
#1 The Spanish Butterfly Blog: Expansion and Transformation
When I was 17, during the hot, hot summer of 1980, I left my hometown of Dallas, Texas with a group of students to live for 9 weeks in Segovia, Spain. Before I left, my mother said, “This trip is…
Searching for Silver
In March of 2020, life in Antigua, Guatemala (my new hometown) changed dramatically, as it did across the world. We went into a lockdown the likes of which no one had ever seen. Doors around the city were shut and…
Eat, Pray, Learn
I recently went on a personal adventure to Antigua, Guatemala. It was my own miniature version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. Well, she traveled for an entire year (to Italy, India, and Bali) and I only went away for…
Are You Selfish?
Recently I was at an exercise class (yes, it is a miracle that I’ve stuck with it for 6 months now!). A woman came running in at the last minute and said, “I just had my babysitter stay later so…
Thawing the Frozen Heart
After your heart is broken, what happens? The natural reaction is to shut down, contract, and protect the remaining shards. In fact, for many people, after experiencing the searing pain of loss, their hearts begin to freeze over. Eternal winter.…
Life after Death
Saying goodbye last year to my sweet furry friend, Hickory, was heartbreaking. My constant companion of 15 years, he was with me as I raised and launched my children. He followed me as I lived with one husband and then…
Requiem
Requiem . . . Latin for “rest.” It comforts me to imagine a resting place of heavenly peace for all those whom we have loved and lost; a place where they are granted a peace so sublime that there is…