There is nothing like pointing your face toward the warm sun of spring and letting the golden rays wash away the cold, crackly residue of winter.  Stepping into that light is a renewal of sorts, illuminating stagnancies both literal and figurative that are ready to be released. In this issue, we’re exploring and embracing the multiple facets of light - what it means to illuminate and be illuminated, allowing the contrast between dark and light, and allowing light to flow thro

What is the feeling of lightness? It describes positive aspects of human existence including physical agility, emotional lightheartedness, intellectual curiosity, or spiritual fulfillment. And when lightness is present in any of these manifestations, you may notice that you feel joyful, unencumbered, bright, or lithe. We often think of lightness in contrast to what it is not. In those moments when heaviness or darkness bear down you might feel burdened, alone, or afraid. And

When I was a child, I thought I would know everything by age 40. I thought my life would be settled and I would be successful and finally, at peace. No more questions.  (*I’ve always had so many questions about life.) I remember my father’s 40th birthday. It was a surprise party in our home, where our extended family and neighbors and dad’s work colleagues gathered to celebrate this monumental “over the hill” moment. The theme was fishing, my father’s favorite pastime, and my

It’s still cold outside, but I notice the burgeoning of spring every day on my walks. Shoots burst through the soil, defying the snow melt that still covers the grass in my yard. The greening of the grass comes later, but I see hints of it even now. The birdsong has begun to change as more birds come back from their southern migrations. I hear the familiar calls that I have missed in the past few months. The thing is, even with these outward changes happening around me every

Photo credit: Larissa Moreno Everything about Citlalli Parra says spring.  Her essence is one of lightness, sprouting, growing, becoming.  But like the wisdom innate to the plants and trees around us, her blossoming is not haphazard.  It is instilled, innate, intuitive, and perfectly imperfect. While the uniqueness of her designs shine brightly on the model or the showroom floor, like their creator, it is their inner light that radiates most.  The light that can only come fr

Sunlight has a way of making magic of the otherwise ordinary—the tops of the trees illuminated by the glow of the rising sun, the morning crystals of ice on a dormant bud, the baffling definition of a cumulous cloud. This fleeting show of beauty necessitates pause. Wait a few seconds, and it will be gone, never again to be seen in that exact form. It, though, is unattached; it doesn’t care if we see it or not. If we’re willing to be present to receive them, we’re the fortunat

As spring approaches, I normally feel the itch to clean out my house. The release of unneeded items brings a sense of renewal after a long winter inside. But this year, everything feels different. A slow accumulation of generations of family boxes and furniture has found their way into my house. From my departed parents beloved possessions stacked in my garage to my recent college graduate’s furniture scattered in various rooms, I am feeling stuck in the overload of stuff. Wh