by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
Several months ago, I had a dream in which I saw every religion represented by a building, such as you would think of temples and churches. The buildings were set in a large circle, and their doors were wide open, facing each other. The message was: when the doors of...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
“Joy is the lantern that lights the way through the dark times and the motivator propelling us toward dreams.” (Moss) Carols are playing in the background of pre-Christmas festivities. The tree that stands so proudly in front of me is gaily lit with the...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Food
A conversation with a shopper in T.J. Maxx inspired this post. The shopper was admiring a festive display of Christmas crackers. Not the kind of crackers you eat. These are the kind that holds a surprise inside and is made from a paper tube and decorative paper....
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Grief, Spiritual
Grief lies between the light and the dark. Grieving is especially hard during the holiday season. Seeing sparkly tinsel, shiny gold and silver ornaments, or even light-adorned trees takes significant effort and may even be impossible. For many, Christmas cards hold a...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
Do you consider November as the charitable giving month? There’s a November day dedicated to giving, and that day is Giving Tuesday. It is always the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Since its inception in 2012, nonprofits have raised more than $1.9B. November...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
Thich Nhat Hanh, a philosopher known often as the “father of mindfulness,” wrote, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Sometimes a smile is all the connection we need. I once...
