Dear friends,

I’m writing with a short personal note and some upcoming events. It’s been a while since I sent an email, so first I want to offer a warm welcome to those new to my emails!

I’ll be speaking about my new book, Your Heart Was Made for This in New York next Monday (2/19), Cambridge/online the following Sunday (2/25), and online in March and April. How do we keep caring amidst so many crises? How can we contribute meaningfully when the problems seem so vast and our own influence so meagre? These are the kinds of questions we'll be grappling with; I’d love to see you there.

Life feels full for me these days. I am stunned daily by the blessing of knowing our 16-month old son, who is saying his first words, climbing into my lap for stories, and sparking joy in me as he runs, giggles, and shouts.

This joy feels life-giving and necessary, for it is linked to an immense well of grief for the pain and suffering in our world. The news has been soul-crushing the past few months. I feel heartsick over so much—all that's happening in the Middle East, devastating climate reports, the housing crisis and income inequality where I live, and more.

All of this mingles in my heart with the grief of the approaching Yahrzeit (one-year anniversary) of my own father’s passing. As I hold the depth and breadth of all that I feel, I recall these lines from Thich Nhat Hanh’s moving poem, Call Me By My True Names: 

My joy is like Spring, so warm

it makes flowers bloom all over the Earth.

My pain is like a river of tears,

so vast it fills the four oceans.

The material in my book is very much alive for me and I find myself challenged to practice it every day: how do we keep the heart open and strong amidst challenging times? How do we find our place and not give up in a world on fire? How do we keep noticing, encouraging, and lifting up all that is good and beautiful in oneself, each other, and our world?

This feels so vital and important to me. If you feel moved to explore these questions, I’d love to see you online or in person. 

With good wishes,

Oren

All Upcoming Events

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