Author: Michael Stevens

Twenty-two degrees with bright sun in a cloudless sky—there is nothing better than this on a cold winter’s day. I am standing with my back to the white garage door. It reflects the sun...

Dharma is a word that has many levels of meaning. From a Buddhist perspective, dharma with a small ‘d’ simply means phenomena; everything we see and experience in the realm of form. Dharma, when...

During the Buddhist refuge ceremony, the rite of commitment to the path, I cut a small piece of hair from the crown of a participant. The hair is taken only directly from the crown,...

…the present is the leaky palm of water that we skim from the swift, silent river slipping by…—Dana Gioia We often talk about being in the moment as if it is an actual place...

Have you ever made a promise? Have you broken a promise? What does it take to follow through on a promise? A vow is like a promise made from the depths of our hearts....

The notes of a Strauss waltz, emanating from stereo speakers, bounce around our small home, and we are enticed to engage the rhythm. Our 72-year-old bodies don’t seem to be as light on the...

This morning I awoke to see a strong wind blowing nearly horizontally, throwing a mixture of snow and rain into a chaotic fury. An hour later, the weather transitioned into a sparkling display of...

I want to write something uplifting for the season, but I made the mistake of listening to the news earlier. It was very depressing; children playing with the bones of human remains in the...

I wrote this on Friday the 13th and the day was rather uneventful. It is supposed to be unlucky, but I did not notice anything unusual. Actually, it was quite a nice day, albeit...

I am looking through a box of memorabilia and discover my grandfather’s fountain pens. They were handed down to my father and then to me. With a little loving care, the pens could be...