Author: Ron Stempkowski
Rediscovering Zen
Last month marks two years since I said goodbye to my sweet puppy girl, Kallie. Our ten-and-a-half-year life together shaped a lot of who I am. As I wrote after her death, she boldly shepherded me fro... Read More
Outside of Space and Time
The world is grayer. The stars have lost their sparkle. Sharp edges have dulled. And my heart has another fissure, bleeding more love and all things good with the death of my sister-in-law and friend,... Read More
Welcome Home, Hudson
Following a distinguished line of well-loved pups, I brought Hudson home after a short road trip to Wisconsin yesterday. I’d been thinking about it for over a year, making lists and preparing. Then,... Read More
Ready, Aim, Fire…Oops
I wasn’t completely surprised that the orange felon won the election. This country is blatantly infected with ignorant and barely-masked racism and misogyny (even by women voting against their own b... Read More
The Thirteenth June 1
Year after year this date greets me in many different way I can never accurately predict. It used to feel like an attack—an onslaught of sadness and so many other overwhelming feelings. I dreaded th... Read More
And then the Universe Winked…
“Now that we have a quiet moment,” the volunteer coordinator at the library said to me, pulling me aside in the momentary lull of our book sale. A normally jovial woman got very serious for a mome... Read More
Where Dreams Live
Since returning to work after a week off, partially spent in the natural beauty of Door County, Wisconsin, I’ve thought a lot about the feelings of simplicity and wholeness I experienced there. ... Read More