Author: E.M. Murphy

I. Am. Done. Not only one full sentence, but three. As I half-tuned in to television commercials, I then found myself scratching my head.

All-natural sleep aids. GLP-1 weight loss drugs. Eczema injections. Red and green gummies to ensure vegetable consumption.

Wellness is a business. The wellness industry is capitalizing on today’s human beings wanting to feel fabulous. We want to look, feel, and believe we’re fabulous. Perfect sleep. Perfect nutrition. Perfect fitness. All about us. We can’t live fully or care for others until we are functioning at our highest. Ha!

I read something this week about messy houses and dirty floors equating to a life well lived. It may signify love, laughter and activity. Or it may mean you’re busy with other things. It’s not a sign of failure. It’s human!

I’m compulsively neat. If you saw my bedroom in high school, you’d never believe it yet today, everything has its place. Things get put away. Rooms get tidied up. And there’s no such thing as chaos. I’m usually surrounded by calm, quiet, and solitude with my fur-mate.

A new home baker turned pro has hit the streets in my town in a newly established commercial kitchen. I’d seen some posts when cruising social media platforms and after reading her story and mission, I was sold. It took me a few weeks to place the first order, yet when I did, I utterly enjoyed the thoughtfulness it took to do so. I had to look forward and determine what the week would look like and ensure what I ordered would be savored and not go to waste. With my parents temporarily calling my place home, I knew I could order more than I would as a single home dweller. Continue reading “Shopping Local.”

In overhearing news segments from various channels, I scratched my head. What I listened to was a lot of angry people, people who want to incite others in an effort to ensure those people are as angry as they are. We hear small audio clips of some, not all, information, then go off to spread that message – and it spreads like a cancer, one that is terminal for us all.

There are times in life when we find ourselves running on empty. We go through the motions, rushing from task to task. We manage our commitments and tackle our responsibilities. We work tirelessly and socialize when we can, yet there is a disconnect – a numb indifference that doesn’t allow us to connect deeply or be, never mind stay, in the present.

As I exited a Boston hospital this evening, cold air hitting my face, I inhaled deeply as I walked to the valet at a hurried pace.

I submitted fully to the moment, reflecting upon how incredible it felt to breathe in the winter night, my lungs ecpanding, filled with the fresh, crisp air, then slowly and deliberately exhaling the pain, sadness, and confinement an ICU mandates.

Having stood aside my aunt, overheard the calls for help in the next ICU bed, and observed multiple monitors, the fresh air reminded me of how fortunate a majority of us are to breathe it in.

Buckled in the car, hitting the road, I was rapidly reminded of how crazy drivers are on the road. No directionals, no courtesy for fellow drivers, and road rage at an all-time high. This was definitely heightened by the holiday frenzy!

As I navigated the highways, I found myself angry that people are so ugly.

Why not slow down. Let another driver into the lane. Use a directional. Maybe think of all those fighting for their lives tonight.

As you’re speeding along for whatever reason, there are floors full of people in local hospitals clinging to life. Tubes, medicines, and monitors. The flutter of an eye, grip of a hand, change in breathing. The hope that something will change – and this person will make it. Hospital staff who haven’t seen the outside of an ICU in daylight for 72 or more hours.

What could be more important than this?

For those fighting for their lives tonight. We see you. We are here for you. We love you.

Please pray for my aunt. Please pray for my father. Please pray for all of those who need prayers.

And please keep me strong enough to pour energy and hope into those who need it.

This week found me at a new doctor and as I was ushered into the exam room, I was told that the nurse practitioner would be in shortly.

When the door opened and a young lady stepped over the threshold, I stood to greet her, extending my hand – yes, the once commonplace handshake that COVID interrupted. For some, that gesture which complements an introduction may never happen again. It’s often replaced with a fist bump, an elbow bump or a puzzled expression that asks, ‘do you really expect me to touch you?’

As I extended my hand and the lady in scrubs lightly shook it, she stated with a raised eyebrow that she was not the nurse and ‘just’ the medical assistant. The look on her face was one of surprise, and her comment to me implied that she didn’t feel important or worthy. It insinuated that she may have felt that she didn’t deserve such a personal, or professional, greeting.

Shaking her hand I replied, ‘yes, and it’s nice to meet you.’ As I answered her flurry of questions during intake, I couldn’t help but reflect upon how sad it was that this young woman didn’t feel her role on the healthcare team was important. That she may have felt that she didn’t deserve the same respect or recognition as a full-fledged nurse or doctor.

How sad. I wondered how many people treat her less than or barely acknowledge her at all. Her job is important. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t exist. And she deserves respect simply because she is a human being, a professional, and a person interacting with another person. Civility. Courtesy. Consideration. Simple gestures that mean so much.

I am a realist and fully aware that there are countless people in this world who treat others accordingly – in their minds – based on their education level, social status, or financial means. In a culture that boasts inclusivity and diversity, there is still an undercurrent of superficiality and pretentiousness. An entitlement or privilege. An expectation that they should be served, that they are ‘better than.’

When you greet someone properly, such acknowledgment can smooth relations, enhance communications, and increase the chances for a positive overall experience.

How do you treat others? Do you have any biases? Do you hold some professions in high esteem while looking down upon others?

Rise when someone walks into a room. Extend your hand. And sincerely let that person know you’re glad to meet him or her.

Everyone deserves respect and recognition.

Today we honor and celebrate the Cold Moon, the final Super Moon of 2025. It peaked at 6:14 pm ET and how lucky we were to experience its brilliant illumination in between blustering snow squalls.

Winter lights a fire in my soul, igniting joy and inspiring creativity. I love the beauty of fresh snow and the uniqueness of each flake that falls. I love breathing in the cold, clean air scented with smoke from neighboring wood stoves. I love the sound of animals plodding their way through the iced conservation land that borders my home late at night, and the hoot of a barred or snowy owl perched in a tree.

Combine all of this with a bright moon, twinkling stars, and a moody sky and I simply cannot get enough. The time of year doesn’t matter when it comes to lunar cycles – each is special, and significant to me. Whether it be the black moon on a summer eve when some night critters chatter loudly with minimal fear of being seen by predators, a new moon when we set intentions and start anew, or a full moon like tonight when we let go of what no longer serves us – there is an extraordinary kind of magic and enchantment.

Tonight’s full moon is spectacular. If you’re sensitive to lunar cycles, you’ll relate. But if you’re not sure, you may actually feel it if you pay close attention. Are you unusually anxious or emotional? Happy or serene?Are you off kilter in some way, yet can’t put your finger on it? Before you smirk and shirk at this, take a moment and reflect. It’s not witchy – it’s in the Farmer’s Almanac.

Water is estimated to make-up 60-70% of the human body. There is no substantial proof that the moon pulls on our bodies, however, it does affect ocean tides thus most likely impacts us as well. I believe it does.

So tonight, after the peak illumination, I was compelled to grab my gloves and head outside for an invigorating walk under the moonlit sky. With all the madness that is going on in our world along with accumulative responsibilities and stressors happening in my own life, I craved nothing more than to clear my mind and move my body on this picture perfect night. The reality that tonight’s temps will drop to 3 degrees hit hard and turned me around sooner than I anticipated, yet my spontaneous push outside was just what my soul needed.

May you all make the time to experience the magic of moonlight.

There are times in our lives that are heavy. We are called to shoulder weight that we may not feel strong enough to carry, yet we rally and we make it happen, every day.

I was called out this week for not regularly posting on this blog or writing more than my monthly submission to a local paper. The question was with all that’s happening in my life right now, why wasn’t I expressing it and sharing it with others through the written word.

It is true that pure emotion usually results in great writing. When one is falling in or out of love. When fury kicks in and rage pours onto the page. When feelings are heightened to a state of euphoria or madness. Yes, I have been there yet these days, I don’t feel much at all. It is merely a constant push with little time to mentally process all that’s happening or reflect upon what I’m feeling because life is heavy – and carrying it well has resulted in a wash of productivity veiled in exhaustion and numbness.

Yet today, running an errand, a cardinal passed me by. That cardinal sat on a branch and looked my way. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the symbolism cardinals have, wondering if a deceased loved one could be paying me a visit. If you’re spiritual like me, you’re nodding right now.

That cardinal grounded me, reminding me to breathe and be present in that moment. It refreshed my spirit, and I drew strength from it’s presence. As I looked through the trees, many now barren of leaves, I could see things I hadn’t before – a reminder of what the approaching winter months can offer us: the opportunity to pause, reflect, and savor the season. A reminder that no matter what life throws our way, we can endure.

No matter how heavy life can get, seek moments of wonder. And if you can’t find them, they may often find you.

I’ll be writing again soon but for now: a daily thought, a point to ponder, and a soulful reflection to close a long day and sleepless night.

Noone prepares us for life, no matter how much training we think we have. One of my favorite lines from a book, “The Secret Life of Bees,” is “we never know who we’ll be when life gets through with us.” That couldn’t be closer to the truth – it is the truth! Continue reading “The Circle of Life.”