Ann Elizabeth Grace, Author

For me, December is the most reflective month of the year. There’s just something powerful about the lacing together of endings and beginnings. Last year at this time Dan and I lived in coastal California. (I can still hear the sea lions barking!) On New Year’s Eve we created what will hopefully become a yearly ritual.

We grabbed pencils and notebooks, lit tea candles, and posed three questions to ourselves and each other. What are you most grateful for this year? What do you want to leave behind? What do you wish to invoke in the New Year? Then we dropped into our sagging couch and quietly scribbled our thoughts. Reflections complete, we read aloud to one another.  Read more…

When I woke up this morning, my muscles ached all over. Instantly I flashed back to yesterday's intense running and weightlifting workout. But even though my body ached, I felt happy. These physical sensations were reminders of one of my greatest passions: running.

I hobbled to the living room and sat, heavy, watching Beijing awaken in the early morning light. As I sank into the couch, my mind drifted past running to other things that are, for me, bottomless wells of fascination and delight. One by one these little joys danced before my eyes. They baited me with life's simple pleasures – to which I can always return (if only in my mind) for inspiration.

Here’s a small sample of my personal passions:  Read more…