Martha Beck

4 min read 2021-12-20 08:32:59

On Resolutions

Many years ago, my then three-year-old daughter Katie told me, “I just met the nice fat lady who lives next door.” “That’s great, honey,” I

1 min read 2021-10-18 19:00:31

So there’s this board game called Dark Side Rising. It’s based on Star Wars and features Darth Vader, so I guess you could say it’s pure

1 min read 2021-09-27 18:11:52

Even before you hear it, you know it. It’s in your DNA. Thrilling and terrifying, musical and primordial: the roar of a lion. The sun is setting

1 min read 2021-08-16 19:30:17

In case you haven’t heard, I am prone to “paranormal” experiences. In fact, without many startling moments of transcendent peace, when I felt

1 min read 2021-06-14 23:20:57

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” a friend told me recently. “I freaked out when the pandemic shut down my life. Now things are opening

5 min read 2021-02-14 20:00:41

There are two ways to be angry. One can ruin your life. The other can save it. During these difficult months and years, we’ve all probably felt

3 min read 2021-01-05 00:08:27

Wait, is it over? I think it’s over. Let me check … yes, 2020 has officially left the building! We’re free to plan something better!! Of

3 min read 2020-09-28 21:00:39

Exciting news hot off the presses, possums! You’ve heard me talking about my new book for years . . . well, on April 13th it will finally land on a

5 min read 2020-09-28 20:53:06

Arnold Toynbee famously defined history as “one damned thing after another.” So far, 2020 has taken this to a whole new level—and it’s not

5 min read 2020-07-24 21:17:30

Here’s the single best word of advice I’ve ever learned: Listen. When I was young and confused, trying to figure out how the world works, I had

5 min read 2020-07-13 21:56:10

Every few months I have a recurring dream: I’m walking through my home and notice a door I’ve never seen before. I open the door to find an

7 min read 2020-05-18 21:56:29

When I talk to people whose lives have been upended by the global pandemic, it’s almost like watching some massive, monstrous bully beating on

2 min read 2020-05-07 03:45:58

So in spite of everything, violets are blooming in the forest around my house. One day there were none, the next day, they’re everywhere. I’ve

1 min read 2020-05-07 03:40:02

So last Christmas I bought a jigsaw puzzle for my family. It was fun—a nice center point where we could gather and chat. I do that almost every

2 min read 2020-04-13 20:53:31

Any normal year, I’d be prepping for my annual pilgrimage to this place: Londolozi, South Africa. This year, though I can’t go there, Londolozi