Marilyngardner5

LATEST ARTICLES ( 1127 )

• A Salute to All of Us

  

  Photo credit - Stefanie Sevim Gardner Here's to the moms, homeschooling when they always said "I'll homeschool when it snows in Djibouti... or Miami ... or... Read more

  Posted on 24 March 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Social Distancing and Beth March

  

  "There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the... Read more

  Posted on 13 March 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Muted Colors – Lenten Journey

  

  There is nothing ambiguous about Lent in the Orthodox tradition. No one contemplates what to give up, or how to spend more time in prayer and repentance.... Read more

  Posted on 02 March 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• "No Such Thing as Mundane"

  

  Photo taken by Stan Brown on February 4, 2020 "Wonderful! No such thing as mundane!" The caption is typed over a picture of a book titled Glory Happening:... Read more

  Posted on 26 February 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• A Life Overseas – On Safety & Sanity

  

  Safe passage cannot be bought. We have no holy passport to protect us and so we venture forward, fragile maps in hand, flying our banners of courage and of... Read more

  Posted on 10 February 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Food Nostalgia: Third Culture Kids & Comfort Food

  

  I walked into Khan BBQ on Devon Street in Chicago and immediately smelled Tandoori Chicken, a dish that we regularly ate while growing up in Pakistan. The smell... Read more

  Posted on 04 February 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• On Turning 60

  

  This is 60! I'm turning 60 on Monday, and I'm here to tell you that if you let it be, life is terrifying. Just today, four days before the auspicious... Read more

  Posted on 23 January 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Longing for Isaiah's Light

  

  The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned. The Prophet Isaiah Snow is falling... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Longing for Isaiah's Light

  

  The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned. The Prophet Isaiah Snow is falling... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• A Life Overseas – Living Borrowed Lives

  

  "A Syrian painter recently told me that we all have a map in our bodies, composed of the places we have lived, that we are constantly in the process of... Read more

  Posted on 11 January 2020 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Those Damn Decade Photos

  

  It was last January when I saw the first decade photo. I remember it well. It was of a gorgeous 27 year old who had also been a gorgeous 17 year old. No... Read more

  Posted on 30 December 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Merry Christmas Eve from Thessaloniki

  

  The wind is rattling the door shutters in the apartment, but inside it is cozy and calm. It's what I've always wanted Christmas Eve to be, yet what it rarely is... Read more

  Posted on 24 December 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• A Life Overseas – On Family Albums and What I Didn’t Know

  

  Posted by Marilyn Our family albums tell amazing stories. Picnics in the shadow of the Great Pyramids of Egypt; bucket baths in Swat Valley - home to Malala... Read more

  Posted on 09 December 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Sacred Meals and Invitations

  

  This morning I slowly opened my eyes to bright sunlight. As I lay in bed, still sleepy, I reflected back on the last few days and on Thanksgiving, just hours... Read more

  Posted on 30 November 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Decision Making and Transition

  Emily Freeman The other night I woke up to fierce wind and rain. On the right side of the house an alley way created a wind tunnel and I could hear the wind... Read more

  Posted on 20 November 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• “What is It, to Live Between?”

  

  There was a giant chasm between worlds, a chasm separated by more than an ocean. It was a chasm of culture and food and people and faith, and I was suspended... Read more

  Posted on 08 November 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Reflecting on October with My Mother

  

  My mom recently told me that the last leaves to turn are the Sugar Maples. They turn a brilliant red, an impossible color to describe. She tells me this as we... Read more

  Posted on 04 November 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• A Slice of Life in Charlestown – Volume 2: Death, Debts Forgiven, and Fitting...

  

  Two years ago today my father died. There are times in life where you remember exactly where you are at a pivotal moment. I was at work, chatting with my dear... Read more

  Posted on 24 October 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• Cappuccino with Barzan: Friendship and Betrayal in Kurdistan

  Around eleven o'clock every morning, Barzan would look through the door of my office and say "Come! Let's have cappuccino!" I would look up at him and respond... Read more

  Posted on 18 October 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION

• When Your Soul is in Chaos, Chop Vegetables!

  

  It's a rainy fall day here in Boston. The bells at the church across the street just chimed five times, telling me it's almost evening. I woke up restless and... Read more

  Posted on 11 October 2019 RELIGION, SELF EXPRESSION