Boundless Care

My youngest baby was born with frown lines between her eyes. She came out angry, like she knew she was going to be one of those kids who struggles with life and wasn’t ready to meet the day. I held her in my arms for the first time, whispered “Hello,” and watched in awe as her frown lines disappeared and calm, peaceful recognition spread across her face at the sound of my voice. It’s a moment of connection I will cherish forever.

To this day, my little one resists waking up. Every day, I whisper “Good morning ” and then wait by her bed holding up a blanket that I wrap around her like a cape once she finally stands up. Then I follow her downstairs holding the blanket’s train in a morning procession fit for a queen. Yes, it’s a bit much. But she’s a sensitive kiddo and needs a lot of loving care in order to feel full.

As we enter our third pandemic spring, I imagine the whole world could use a little bit of this kind of opulent attention right now—boundless care flowing from as many of us as possible. Love in action pouring into our communities in order to fill our cups so we can meet the challenges of the day. But it’s hard to lavish your attention when it’s being regularly hijacked by social media, or depleted by burnout and stress.

Which is why, for this April issue, our team at Mindful created a resilience guide for extraordinary times. Managing editor Stephanie Domet shares how practicing curiosity helped her shift her perception of a difficult situation (page 18). Physician and mindfulness teacher Dr. Christiane Wolf explores how the hard work of forgiveness can temper rage and soften bitterness (page 24). Dr. Wolf also teamed up with us to create a course on navigating physical pain (see ad to the right). Journalist Robert Huber reports on how mindfulness is helping to heal one of our most tender communities: survivors of gun violence (page 32). Veteran teachers Tovi Scruggs-Hussein, Mark Bertin, and Shalini Bahl-Milne offer a DIY at-home mindfulness retreat so you can share your practice with your friends and loved ones (page 54).

As the late visionary writer bell hooks said: “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” May you surround yourself with loving communities of care. May your practice fill your communities with an abundance of love. And in those moments when kindness feels scarce, may you remember to return to your breath, and to the light of your own heart.

With deep gratitude,