The Lighthouse Effect: How to Find Peace in Family Conflict and Polarization
Feeling overwhelmed by political arguments and family tension? Learn the “Lighthouse Effect”—a strategy to remain a calm, non-anxious beacon in a polarized world. Master active listening and empathy this season.
The Power of the Plate: Why Sharing Meals Matters More Than Ever
Why do we eat together? From the biology of bonding to the sociology of the dinner table, we explore how feasting acts as a universal language of peace and reconciliation across cultures.
Presence Over Presents: How to De-commercialize the Holidays and Find Meaning
Are you tired of the holiday shopping frenzy? Discover how to reclaim the “sacred” in the season by choosing presence over presents. We explore meaningful alternatives to buying stuff, from experiences to the art of the handwritten letter.
The Empty Chair: Why It’s Okay to Be Lonely (and How to Find Peace) During the Holidays
Does the festive season feel more like a struggle than a celebration? We explore the “Empty Chair,” reframe loneliness as solitude, and offer a guide to inclusive hospitality and finding peace in the noise.
Hanukkah & Burnout: What the Festival of Lights Teaches About Spiritual Endurance
Feeling depleted? The story of Hanukkah isn’t just about oil; it’s a blueprint for burnout. Discover how to find “spiritual endurance” when your inner resources are running low.
The Dance, The Drift, and The Handle: How We survive the Morning After
As 2025 comes to a close, we look at the transition from holiday magic to ordinary reality. Through stories set in a nursing home in Buenos Aires, a dark river in the Amazon, and a drought-stricken well in Turkana, we ask: How do we keep the music playing when the orchestra stops?
When the Bells Stop Ringing | A Prayer for the Day After
And finally, we look to the day after. The bells have stopped ringing, the guests have gone, and the wax has hardened on the table. We often treat the holiday spirit like a decoration—something to be packed away in a box until next year. But what if the kindness, the open doors, and the shared bread were not a seasonal performance, but a blueprint for how to live? In this final reflection, we ask what it means to carry the light of the feast into the famine of the ordinary days ahead.
The Architecture of Gratitude: How to Escape the Hedonic Treadmill & Find Joy
Why does the holiday “high” fade so fast? Discover the science of the Hedonic Treadmill and learn how to build a structural foundation of gratitude that lasts beyond New Year’s.
Winter Solstice Meaning: How to Embrace Dormancy & The Return of the Light
Why do we fear the dark? Explore the spiritual and psychological meaning of the Winter Solstice. Learn why “dormancy” is necessary for growth and how to find peace in the longest night of the year.
When the Bells Stop Ringing 15 | The Water at The Well
In the drought-stricken lands of Turkana County, the sun is a hammer and water is more precious than gold. Zola, a young woman from the Turkana tribe, walks miles to the only working well, knowing it sits on the dangerous borderlands of the enemy Pokot tribe. When she arrives, she is not alone. A woman from the opposing tribe is already there. With no men and no guns—just two women and a rusted, heavy pump handle—they face a choice: hold onto the history of war, or work together to survive the day.
