Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art
About 20 years ago, in Williamsburg, Virginia, we used to sing this in church, "At the end of broken dreams, an open door." I sung it because I liked the lyricism, but I had no interest in the open door at the end of broken dreams because then … [Continue reading]
I was interested to hear the leader on my silent retreat say that different approaches to prayer or the spiritual life are like food. Different people like different things. Such a simple way of expressing a new thought for me. (I had a mental … [Continue reading]
My daughter Irene returned from a talk by neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield informing us that multitasking decreases fluid IQ more than smoking marijuana, or losing a night’s sleep does. My daughter, as intense as I am, walks around the … [Continue reading]
In his excellent The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning mentions the limited Antonio Salieri, court composer to the Holy Roman Emperor, who was conscientious, devout, and wildly jealous of the wildly gifted Mozart who--neither conscientious, nor … [Continue reading]
When I find I am stressed, or distressed, I like to pause there and then instead of going through the day with undefined, subterranean unease. I take the question to which I do not know the answer--how to be more productive perhaps. How to read … [Continue reading]
Irene, my 15 year old, has decided to become a master juggler. (I blame Baroness Susan Greenfield who told her class that juggling makes you clever). And now the air is full of the swish-swish-swish of juggling balls. And as for me, words and … [Continue reading]
“I’ve had a good day,” I say to Roy as we drift off to sleep. “Oh, I thought you said your day wasn’t going well,” he says. “Well it wasn’t, but then it got all turned around.” What turned it round? Well, I went on a 3.25 mile walk, walking … [Continue reading]
When I was six years old, I wanted to be the first woman to climb Everest. Well, I won’t be. That was Junko Tabei, a Japanese woman--a record which will forever be hers. And neither will be I be the oldest person to climb Everest. That’s … [Continue reading]