Here’s the next post in my “Art as Therapy” series . . .
Myth #4: I’m Better off by Myself (my rendition)
“I’m better off by myself” was a common refrain as a child. It was my defense when my siblings excluded me. But I’ve come to see that it is not only untrue, it is unhealthy if taken to an extreme. Don’t get me wrong: It’s very important to know how to enjoy oneself alone, but belonging is what happens in community.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn,
‘The Night Watch’
Here’s the next post in my “Art as Therapy” series . . .
Myth #3: Ordinary work is merely a drudge. I want to be on television!
Confession: I was on television in Germany a few weeks ago. But that really wasn’t the point. Continue reading
I want to pause my art series in honor of my brother, Richard Rockefeller, MD, who died tragically last Friday, Continue reading
Summary: “Doing the modest things that are expected of all of us is enough.”
Welcome to the second of a series of art posts, derived from the ‘Art as Therapy’ show written by John Armstrong at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. 
“De Hooch, “Girl in the Larder”
When I came upon this painting in the newly restored (2013) Cuypers Cathedral, I was struck by the beauty of ordinariness. Continue reading
Taken From “Art As Therapy” at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
“The Windmill” by Jacob Isaacksz van Ruisdael
For the next few weeks I’m going to take you on a virtual museum tour of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where Paul and I spent our last day before returning home. It’s not going to be the usual kind of tour, Continue reading
Paul and I have spent the past two weeks in Germany on a roots trip. Happily, our eldest son, Adam, came for part of the time too. Our first stop was Baden-Baden, a beautiful town in the south, known for its mineral baths. It has been a gathering place for artists since the early 19th Century. Continue reading
In the weeks since my Mother’s Day blog post about The Talking Heart, I’ve received many inquiries from readers asking where they could acquire a heart of their own. I was glad to see this kind of enthusiasm. Continue reading
One of my favorite stories in Being a Rockefeller, Becoming Myself is the chapter called Planting Seeds, about planting fava beans, in which I defend my ignorance in planting them upside-down! The last line of that story is the theme of today. It bears reprinting: “I marvel at the potential for everything to grow, even when planted upside down. A seed doesn’t need to know it is a fava bean. It just does a quiet somersault and keeps growing.” Continue reading
With spring comes a season for foraging. The other day my husband, Paul, and I went for a walk and came upon a woodland field full of ramps. In case you are not familiar, ramps are the equivalent of wild leeks. They grow in large masses in early springwoods. When I see ramps I feel a tingle of hope, realizing that life has again been reborn. Continue reading
With Mother’s Day approaching, my mind is turning to matters of the heart. Those of you who have read my book may remember the chapter called “Primal Parenting,” where I recount a story about teaching our sons how to have “heart talks.” Today I want to paraphrase an excerpt from that chapter with you. Continue reading
