Our worship theme for April is Equanimity, and I will freely admit that equanimity is not anything I’m famous for. I laugh easily, cry easily, and while I can be extremely patient with other people’s children, my own personal children? My older son, now 22, came home to visit and got a volley of criticism before I noticed what I was doing – and this was before I even hugged him and said hello.

Yet I do work to cultivate equanimity at a deep, heart level. I think all of us, if we are to be strong, resilient, connected people owe it to ourselves and to others to do this work of cultivating equanimity, and our spiritual practices can support this. Whether it is meditation, prayer, a walk in the woods, drawing, making music, sometimes just one deliberate breath – those practices that help us keep our balance in stormy times are important to living a good life, because we know this for sure: storms are going to come.

So I invite you to wonder this month: what helps me feel deeply peaceful? How do I steady my spirit in times of trouble? How do I work in groups (family, friends, coworkers) to contribute to a sense of well-being? How do I/we help children develop equanimity as they grow?

If you have a story or thoughts to share, send me an email (lyn@concorduu.org) or give me a call. I would love to hear from you!