by Marijke McCandless | May 20, 2024 | Listen
Jay and I had just returned from a nine-day silent retreat at St. Benedict’s Lodge on the McKenzie River in central Oregon. I came home bearing an amusing little story I wanted to share, including what it’s like to go on a silent retreat. Going on a...
by Marijke McCandless | Jun 2, 2023 | Listen
The wisest words I ever heard anyone say were uttered by my (then) six-year-old daughter. I was crying one day, particularly upset. She snuggled up to me and said, “Don’t worry Mommy if you are feeling sad, because the NEXT thing you will be feeling is something else,...
by Marijke McCandless | Mar 18, 2023 | Listen
Some of us read the word “mystic” and immediately turn our attention elsewhere, finding the word a bit too woo-woo. Others of us will perk up our ears, curious to read about those who have touched into the deeper mystery of life. Curious about what the qualities of a...
by Marijke McCandless | May 26, 2022 | Listen
A poem about grief and love… “Say Yes! to life” It’s one of my highest aspirations But how do I say Yes to an 18-year-old shooter killing elementary school kids? How do I say Yes to heedless, needless death? How do I say Yes to polarization and righteous action?...
by Marijke McCandless | May 19, 2022 | Listen
One of the things I love about rock climbing is it proves to me, “I can do hard things.” I’m 60, and I am astounded that I’m still getting out there on the rock, climbing up vertical faces. Rock-climbing is so engaging and the community so supportive that I am...
by Marijke McCandless | May 8, 2022 | Listen
“You’ve got to flake the rope!” Meditation has played a key role in my life for more than twenty-five years. I appreciate that meditation is a gentle but disciplined training for the excitable puppy that is my brain — teaching me to focus, to...
