Author Archives: bonnevivantelife
God Comes to You
Silence. Monks. Two words that don’t automatically come to mind when you think of me. Safe to say I’ve never been known to be religious, or quiet. At the end of my three-day silent monastic retreat, Father Vincent said to … Continue reading
Vigils and Lauds And Complines, Oh My!
I just spent three days with Trappist monks on a silent, self-guided monastic retreat. It’s taken about 15 years for the stars to align for me to finally experience one of these. I’m grateful it’s taken so long–I realized a … Continue reading
Posted in Meditation, Mindfulness, religion, spirituality
Tagged Berryville Virginia, Holy Cross Abbey, silent retreat, Trappist monks
6 Comments
My Greatest Fear
Glennon Doyle Melton’s Our Sacred Scared series inspired me to really examine my greatest fears. What’s my greatest fear? I don’t know. I’ve had many. They were all great (and not in a good-great way, but a big-great way). They … Continue reading
Posted in Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness
Tagged enough, Glennon Doyle Melton, greatest fear, inadequacy, insecurities, mindfulness
11 Comments
On My Honor I Will Do My Best…
I love our Cub Scout Pack. I had reservations before we joined years ago, but it’s turned into a source of great friendships and experiences. I will admit the one thing I hate about my son’s involvement in Cub Scouts … Continue reading
Put the Armor Down, Be Vulnerable, & Marinate
An old, trusted friend asked about details of how my last relationship ended. We talked about it, and it was clear that I was still having difficulty with it, and the loss; I was still hurting. And I admitted that … Continue reading
Posted in Dating, Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness, Relationships
Tagged authentic, authenticity, brave, courage, hope, relationships, resilience, second chance, vulnerability, vulnerable
8 Comments
Sharing But Not Embarrassing
I have had several friends tell me lately they are surprised I share as much of myself as I do through my writing. They know me to be a fiercely private person with firm boundaries and trust issues. So the … Continue reading
Posted in Empowerment, Meditation, Mindfulness
Tagged brave, courage, disclosure, helping others, shame, sharing, truth, writing
27 Comments
How to Save Your Fort From Attack
I know all you parents out there can empathize with me when I say that my children suffer from a disorder whereupon they lose the capacity to hear a word I say. There’s something about the tone and cadence of … Continue reading
On Being Single and Middle-Aged
I’ve evolved as I’ve aged. I’ve come to not only be comfortable in my own skin, but to love being me. I know it’s taken each of these 40 years filled with trials and tribulations and successes to get me … Continue reading
Posted in Dating, Mindfulness, Relationships
Tagged dating, middle-aged, relationships, single
5 Comments
Puberty Makes Me an Old Person
I woke up today with a chin pimple. Let me be clear. It was not my pimple. And it was not my chin. The Boy, who is 10 years old, walked up to me this morning with his first pimple … Continue reading
Posted in Parenting
Tagged aging, antiperspirants, deodorant, pimples, puberty, teenagers, zits
6 Comments
Thrive Fully Creative 