Casey’s Pick: the Todd Family novels by Kate Atkinson

Kate Atkinson is one of my favorite authors. She has written several novels, including a mystery series featuring a private detective, on a variety of topics. My favorite of her books is Life After Life. Published in 2013, this is the story of a young woman growing up in England, with an unusual twist: Ursula Todd keeps dying, and each time she does, the book starts over. It happens when she is a baby, a toddler, a teenager, an adult — every time, the novel returns to the snowstorm on the night of her birth in 1910. Ursula, like the reader, eventually becomes aware that this is happening and tries to change the course of her life. 

While I love this book, it does take a little while to get used to the concept. If you check Goodreads, the first two reviewers give it 2 stars, the second two reviewers give it 5 stars. In my experience speaking to library patrons and staff about Life After Life, it seems to be a book you will either love or hate. Hopefully you will love it!

If you enjoy Life After Life, try the sequel, A God in Ruins. This book follows Teddy Todd, Ursula’s brother and a character who appears in Life After Life. Much of Life After Life is about the characters living through World War II and the London Blitz. A God in Ruins deals with Teddy’s life after he survives being a pilot during the war, and his relationships with his family. It is also a much more straightforward book.

Life After Life is available through Libby/Overdrive as an ebook and audiobook (I highly recommend the audiobook!). A God in Ruins is also available through Libby/Overdrive as an ebook and audiobook.

WORDS OF WISDOM…WORDS OF COMFORT, Part 2

By Martha E. Fagan, RN, BSN

In last week’s blog I shared some of my favorite poems that help quiet me during times of unrest, allowing me to take a contemplative moment to soothe my soul.

I included the poem Wild Geese by Mary Oliver because I think it urges us to embrace who we are and the choices we make along our way, to feel our shared humanity and be reminded of the beauty and order of nature and our place within it.  The poem is timeless and its message universal.  However, I’ve included below a beautiful contemporary interpretation of Wild Geese for these times of Coronavirus written by Adrie Suzanne Kusserow, an anthropologist/poet.  It speaks directly to our experience now.

Mary Oliver for Corona Times (Thoughts after the poem Wild Geese)

 You do not have to become totally Zen,

You do not have to use this isolation to make your marriage better,

your body slimmer, your children more creative.

You do not have to “maximize its benefits”

By using this time to work even more,

write the bestselling Corona Diaries,

Or preach the gospel of ZOOM.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body unlearn

everything capitalism has taught you,

(That you are nothing if not productive,

That consumption equals happiness,

That the most important unit is the single self.

That you are at your best when you resemble an efficient machine).

Tell me about your fictions, the ones you’ve been sold,

the ones you sheepishly sell others,

and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world as we know it is crumbling.

Meanwhile the virus is moving over the hills,

suburbs, cities, farms and trailer parks.

Meanwhile The News barks at you, harsh and addicting,

Until the push of the remote leaves a dead quiet behind,

a loneliness that hums as the heart anchors.

Meanwhile a new paradigm is composing itself in our minds,

Could birth at any moment if we clear some space

From the same tired hegemonies.

Remember, you are allowed to be still as the white birch,

Stunned by what you see,

Uselessly shedding your coils of paper skins

Because it gives you something to do.

Meanwhile, on top of everything else you are facing,

Do not let capitalism coopt this moment,

laying its whistles and train tracks across your weary heart

Even if your life looks nothing like the Sabbath,

Your stress boa-constricting your chest.

Know that your antsy kids, your terror, your shifting moods,

Your need for a drink have every right to be here,

And are no less sacred than a yoga class.

Whoever you are, no matter how broken,

the world still has a place for you, calls to you over and over

announcing your place as legit, as forgiven,

even if you fail and fail and fail again.

remind yourself over and over,

all the swells and storms that run through your long tired body

all have their place here, now in this world.

It is your birthright to be held

deeply, warmly in the family of things,

not one cell left in the cold.

~Adrie Suzanne Kusserow

I love the way the poet acknowledges our human tendency to take control through action and staying productive in the face of uncertainty.  She then gently invites us to ponder what would it be like, how would we feel, if we actually took the time to stop and not follow our usual patterns?  Are we willing to give ourselves permission to feel and fail, giving voice to our weariness and our longing for our spirits to be nurtured and soothed?  Will we sit with ourselves long enough to know what we need to get through this in a healthy way…to thrive despite the burdens we carry?

Tal Ben-Shahar, a renowned teacher and writer in the fields of Positive Psychology and leadership, reminds us of this opportunity when he writes, “Things do not necessarily happen for the best but I can choose to make the best of things that happen.”

We certainly would never choose to experience the pain, loss of life, fear, financial strain, isolation and uncertainty that we find ourselves experiencing now as we stand witness to loved ones dying alone and babies born without family members there to welcome them into the world.  Yet, here we are.

Some of what we’re facing is unfathomable to think about.  Never before have we seen such mass loss of human life happening so fast and furious from an unknown and unpredictable illness. Our front line workers are putting their lives on the line daily to get ahead of the wave and save those who are suffering on the brink of death.

Our lives and the world we knew will never be the same as it was before COVID-19, just as it was never the same after many tragic times of our past. This is a hard and startling fact AND we do have the potential to shape our future to reflect some of the lessons we’re learning through this.  Adversity teaches us and shapes us; we become stronger and more resilient when we see what we are capable of doing in the worst of times.

My hope is we will listen now and learn to be a little slower, a little kinder to ourselves and others, a little more open and accepting of differences, a little more humble, and a little more grateful for what we do have. 

Martha Fagan is the Vice Chair of the Bacon Free Library. She may be reached through her email her at mefagan.bfl@gmail.com

Graziella’s Pick: KANOPY

WORDS OF WISDOM…WORDS OF COMFORT

By Martha E. Fagan, RN, BSN

Poetry can be a salve for the soul during difficult times as it surrounds us with words of comfort and beauty.

I selected a few of my favorite poems to share with you hoping they will soothe your spirit as they do mine.  I find myself coming back to these time after time when I need a reminder to stay present, notice nature’s beauty and the presence of love in our world. 

The 13th century Sufi mystic and poet Rumi wrote the poem The Guest House to remind us to be with whatever life brings to us. Whether it comes in the form of a joy or a great difficulty, Rumi encourages us to open ourselves to whatever life brings us – letting ourselves feel all the emotions—good and bad.

Our attitude and commitment to greet whatever life sends our way without fear or loathing, and with whatever subtle faith we can muster, allows us to become wiser, kinder and more compassionate to self and others.

The Guest House  ~ Rumi

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.

meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

Mary Oliver’s poetry reminds us to stay amazed in nature and all her beauty.  She spent her life walking the beaches, dunes and woodlands on the outer Cape, writing of the flora, fauna and creatures she encountered along the way.  Her love of nature and animals is woven throughout her work.  Recognized as one of America’s greatest contemporary poets she died last year at the age of 83, still writing until the end.

I chose the poem Why I Wake Early as it makes me smile every time I read it.  Each day is a new day and the sun is above guiding us along even when we may feel lost. 

Why I Wake Early  ~ Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.

Hello, you who make the morning

and spread it over the fields

and into the faces of the tulips

and the nodding morning glories,

and into the windows of, even, the

miserable and crotchety–

best preacher that ever was,

dear star, that just happens

to be where you are in the universe

to keep us from ever-darkness,

to ease us with warm touching,

to hold us in the great hands of light–

good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness.

In The Summer Day we’re called to notice and take the time to be present right here, right now—to be rather than to do. 

The Summer Day ~ Mary Oliver

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean–

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down —

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?

In Wild Geese the poet encourages us to embrace who we are and the choices we make along our way, to feel our shared humanity and be reminded of the beauty and order of nature and our place within it.

Wild Geese  ~Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist and playwright.  He’s best known for his writings on black life in America from the twenties to the sixties.  He wrote in a way that was accessible to all, using language and themes of shared human experiences.

I’m ending with a quote of his rather than one of his poems.  This quote expresses beautifully where we find ourselves now in the “mean” times of life, the pain and the challenge.  This pandemic is frightening on so many levels and though each of our experiences is different we’re all in this together, navigating as best we can each day.  Finding some “love” around us just may be our best way to find solace.

“Folks, I’m telling you,

birthing is hard and dying is mean—

so get yourself a little loving in between.”

~Langston Hughes

Martha Fagan is the Vice Chair of the Bacon Free Library. She may be reached through her email her at mefagan.bfl@gmail.com

Casey’s Staff Pick: WOLF HALL

Last month, just before the library closed, the new Hilary Mantel novel The Mirror & the Light was published. This book is the third and final in her trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, one of Henry VIII’s closest and most influential advisers until he fell out of favor with the king. If you’re looking for a long historical saga to get lost in right now, these books would be a great choice. While they’re not easy reads, they are beautifully written, engaging, and feature historical figures that don’t seem that different from modern day leaders and politicians.

The trilogy order is: Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror & the Light. All three books have received critical acclaim, and the first two books were awarded the Man Booker Prize, a prestigious British literary award.

Once you’ve breezed through all 1700 pages of the trilogy, check out the BBC/PBS television series Wolf Hall, based on the first two books. This award-winning series stars Oscar winner Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis (of Homeland), and Claire Foy (from The Crown).

Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror & the Light are available to borrow or request as ebooks or digital audiobooks on Overdrive/Libby. The television series Wolf Hall is available to borrow instantly on Hoopla.

BE A FRIEND TO YOURSELF: Practicing self-compassion

By Martha Fagan, RN, BSN

In last week’s blog I asked us to reflect back on challenges in our lives and identify what strengths carried us though those times.  My intent this week was to write in more detail about the topic of character strengths.  As the saying goes—“The only constant in life is change”—and with that in mind I’ve decided instead to focus on self-kindness and compassion.

Chances are you set some intentions or goals for yourself and your family as you began this process of sheltering in place; now as we’ve been doing this for over a month things may not be going quite as well as you envisioned.  There were days your “to do” list didn’t have one completed task, you missed a deadline for work, you were short tempered and irritable with your kids or spouse, at home schooling is falling short, healthy cooking led way to a few too many PB&J sandwiches or a few too many glasses of wine while cooking, your exercise routine fell to the bottom of the list each day as you miss the structure of classes at the gym or maybe you’re just tired of all this.  (I don’t have kids at home and I had high hopes of doing some projects that have been on my wish list for awhile…I’ve done a few, but the rest are still on the list!)

At this point it’s easy to start down the defeating path of negative self-talk and criticism, in other words, beating yourself up.  On some level many of us believe that chastising ourselves, cracking the whip, is the best way to get back on track.  

Yet what would it feel like to stop the self-criticism and offer yourself permission to be human?  I’m not suggesting giving you permission to let yourself off the hook; rather I’m offering an alternate to self-criticism by suggesting you give yourself some kindness, support and understanding…in other words, self-compassion. 

Many of us can easily elicit feelings of compassion for others.  Our compassion arises when we recognize another’s suffering and being moved by this suffering we open our hearts, feeling warmth and caring towards them.  Essentially, we want to help.

We express our compassion with kindness, tenderness, benevolence, empathy and mercy.  We offer others support and understanding when they face personal challenges.  We listen as they describe their feelings of disappointment in themselves for not living up to their expectations. 

Sadly, what we direct inward is all too often a very different story.  We tend to hold back on the kindness we need, viewing self-compassion as self-absorption, self-indulgence, self-centeredness or simply just plain selfishness.  We mistakenly think self-compassion is another word for complacency and weakness…an excuse for our shortcomings.

Actually, just the opposite is true.  In her book, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, Kristen Neff PhD writes, “self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings.”

It may help to take a look at where compassion originates.  When we feel compassion for others we realize that suffering, failure and imperfection are part of the shared human experience.  Cultivating self-compassion allows us to experience self-acceptance, putting ourselves within the circle of that shared human experience.

Having self-compassion means that you honor and accept your humanness.  Things don’t always go as planned, you make mistakes and fall short of your ideals.  This is our human condition and it is true for all of us.

When we practice self-acceptance we allow ourselves to work towards self-improvement and away from perfectionism.  We are more mindful of our connectedness, feeling less alone and isolated in our pursuits.  We recognize that we may hit roadblocks or stray along the way AND that’s okay. 

Compassion wants health and well-being for others.  Isn’t that what we also want for ourselves…vibrant health, feelings of well-being and acceptance of all that makes us who we are…embracing our perfect imperfections.  During this uncertain time of health and fear of Coronavirus this is needed now more than ever.

Self-criticism asks, “Am I good enough?”  Self-compassion asks, “What’s good for me?”

So please be kind to yourself.  Remind yourself to strive towards practice not perfection, offer support rather than judgment, allow room for mistakes, recognize that all growth is a process.  If things don’t go as planned, in other words since the process isn’t perfect, we are still okay and we have the choice to try again. Seeing ourselves clearly as vulnerable, fallible beings trying our best gives us the freedom to try, to take chances, to be brave around change and the unknown.  This sheltering in place and isolation is new and we are learning to adjust.

As humans we are complicated and messy and wonderful: we have our inner light and we have our darkness. If we are willing, we can learn from our mistakes and setbacks, using that knowledge as the foundation for moving forward. 

So when you slip a bit, don’t ask yourself “What is wrong with me?” instead ask “How can I support myself now?”

I’ll end with a favorite quote from Kristen Neff…

“Self-compassion steps in precisely when we fall down, allowing us to get up and try again.” 

Good luck this week, be gentle to yourself and thankfully tomorrow is a new day.

Martha Fagan is the Vice Chair of the Bacon Free Library. She may be reached through her email her at mefagan.bfl@gmail.com

STANDING IN OUR STRENGTHS

By Martha Fagan, RN, BSN

Teddy Roosevelt gave us some sound guidance when he said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”  And here we are beginning our fourth week of sheltering in place and social distancing, hoping to avoid a frightening bout with the Coronavirus. 

Last week I wrote about strengthening our resilience during these challenging times, describing resilient people in this way:

Resilient people see both the good and the bad of what’s in front of them and consciously invest and focus their attention and energy into the good.

 When I say “consciously invest and focus their attention and energy into the good”, I’m referring to recognizing our potential and relying on our strengths to invest and take steps toward crafting a better outcome.  We dig deep within and find our inner strengths to support us in times of uncertainty and stress.

Think about times in the past when you have faced substantial adversity— illness, a death of a loved one, family strife, divorce, career challenges or financial distress.  Somehow you came through all those turbulent times and are here now facing yet another one of life’s many hurdles.  The adage “This too shall pass” may seem trite and overly simplistic AND it’s true.

Let’s remind ourselves that we come from a heritage of courage; whatever our ancestry there was struggle and bravery to get us to where we are.

As we reflect back at our own history, remembering times we rose above obstacles and pain, we’ll discover we found many ways to sustain ourselves using our strengths.  Maybe we used kindness as a way to mitigate the pain, we discovered our creativity, we found new ways to look at things gaining perspective, we laughed relying on humor to counter our tears, we showed gratitude for what we still had, we used curiosity to learn new things, we used strategies to calm ourselves, we persevered and we loved deeply.

As long as we remain healthy, each of us will find a way through this.  Even if we get sick the majority of us will get well and return to health.

How we manage to get through this is what’s most important for our well being.  As we find our way through working from home, home schooling, acquiring food safely, social distancing and daily levels of worry we are crafting our story of these times and creating memories.  We are each experiencing this in very different ways AND we are also sharing the experience collectively.

Next week I’ll write in detail about Character Strengths, which are defined by the VIA Institute on Character as “…core capacities for thinking, feeling, and behaving in ways that can bring benefit to oneself and others.”  Identifying our core strengths helps define who we are and what we do when we are at our best. They give language for the good within us and empower us to rely on our capacity to manage heroic moments such as these.

Visit https://www.viacharacter.org/ to learn more and take a free assessment.  At times such as these we can use all the tools available to help us along.

For now I’ll close with a poem of hope.

Kitty O’Meara wrote the poem below in one sitting while home reflecting on what this pandemic means to our world.

And The People Stayed Home

And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.

And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.

May you recognize your own capabilities and capacities to live in this moment in the best way possible for you; doing that will help us all.

Martha Fagan is the Vice Chair of the Bacon Free Library. She may be reached through her email her at mefagan.bfl@gmail.com.

STRENGTHENING OUR RESILIENCE

By Martha Fagan, RN, BSN

The current Coronavirus pandemic is a perfect storm of three key factors that feed fear and anxiety—

1. Feeling a lack of control,
2. Fearing the unknown
3. Uncertainty of duration

And, “social distancing” only adds to our feelings of isolation.  It’s no surprise we feel anxious and frightened! 

During such challenging times we depend on our inner resilience to carry us through.  The encouraging news is there are simple steps we can take now to boost and strengthen our resilience for the long haul.  All indicators point to this pandemic being a marathon not a sprint.

Resilient people see both the good and the bad of what’s in front of them and consciously invest and focus their attention and energy into the good.

We can make daily choices to boost our resilience by shifting our perspective, managing our anxiety and expressing gratitude.

Shifting Our Perspective

 Knowing that “this” and “that” can be true at the same time is a foundational concept of resilience.  A negative thought or fear is real AND a positive thought or step is also true and available.

This is called “the power of AND”.

Here’s an exercise to get you thinking this way:

Write your negative thought or fear on the left side of a page and then write one or two thoughts on the right that are positive thoughts or actions you can take to counter the negative thought or allay the fear.

Examples:

• “I’m very frightened I’ll get the Coronavirus (left side) AND I’m staying home, eating well and taking every precaution to remain healthy (right side).”
• “I’m very concerned about my ability to pay my bills because I’m not able to work (left side) AND I can make calls asking for payment extensions on some bills without penalty and apply for unemployment benefits (right side).”

This exercise helps us begin to see both statements as true and gives us a sense of control over our situation.

Managing Our Anxiety

 Keep in mind that anxiety is natural and normal!  We need some anxiety and stress to give us energy and the ability to act quickly when necessary.  What we want to avoid is prolonged unchecked anxiety.

A proven way to refocus and calm anxiety is to identify the cause and then find meaning and purpose in the situation.

You can’t manage what you can’t identify.  Externalizing (writing on paper or sharing with a friend) and concertizing (describing a specific behavior you can do to address the challenge as well as a specific time when you will take the action identified), will reduce your anxiety and increase your effectiveness.

Ask yourself:

• “What’s causing my increased anxiety now?”
• “What matters most and is significant to me right now and how can I invest, even a little bit, in that today?”

Just answering these questions lowers anxiety. Identifying the source of your anxiety and putting your energy towards what matters most to you gives you a sense of control as you focus on what you can do.

Examples:

• “Staying hopeful in the midst of this is very important to me.” Now ask yourself…”In what way can I cultivate some hope today?”
• “Staying present in the moment and not projecting too far into the future is important to me.” Now ask yourself…”What actions can I take to focus my attention on today?”

Expressing Gratitude

 “Every day, no matter how dark the day, has a best moment.”~  Maria Sirois

Much research has been done proving the positive impact expressing gratitude has on our feelings of happiness and well-being.  Consciously naming what we’re grateful for helps us develop a lens of gratitude through which we view our days…we begin to look for and notice the good.  And, keep it simple; your best moment may have been your delicious cup of coffee, or your morning walk.  And consider expressing gratitude towards yourself…maybe you’re grateful that while you were stressed or worried you still thanked your children for helping with the dishes and told them you loved them. 

Her are some gratitude building exercises to get you started:

At the end of your day ask yourself one of these questions to build your gratitude practice.

• “What are three good things that happened today and why were they good?”
• “What was the best moment of my day?”
• “What or who am I grateful for today? (grateful for:, grateful to:)

You can keep a gratitude journal, have a gratitude jar, write a gratitude letter, keep a running list of best moments or simply spend a few minutes expressing gratitude before you go to sleep.  These exercises help us savor the good and simple moments that are part of every day regardless of our burdens and worries.

So as we navigate this uncharted territory and live in the world with “social distancing” may we remember we are in this together, this too shall pass and we have the power to choose our response to the current “new normal”.

We can choose to find ways to nurture our selves by building a stronger foundation of inner resilience and gratitude.

Martha Fagan is the Vice Chair of the Bacon Free Library. She may be reached through her email her at mefagan.bfl@gmail.com

THE SAVORING WALK

By Martha Fagan

 It’s spring, so even with our unpredictable New England weather we should be in store for warmer temperatures and sunnier days.  In other words, the weather is beckoning us to get outside to breathe in some fresh air and soak up a little sunshine.  And longer days mean more opportunity!

Recent studies have shown that getting outside and spending time in nature has a positive impact on our overall health.  When we experience natural environments—walking in the woods, sitting under an oak tree, smelling the ocean air—our attention is captivated through our senses, which requires little or no mental effort and therefore allows space for reflection.   In contrast, when spending the same time in unnatural environments—a busy urban street, a crowded shopping center or sitting on a metal city bench—our attention is captured dramatically and then directed at trying to force our attention elsewhere, for example, trying to read while ignoring the cacophony of city sounds.  This second process is draining rather than uplifting.

So, while urban or artificial environments foster weary minds, natural environments are restorative, boosting feelings of happiness and reducing feelings of stress.  Just fifteen minutes spent in a natural setting can give way to increased pleasure and rejuvenation. 

Spending time in nature is also a beautiful and easy way to hone our skills of practicing mindfulness.  Harvard psychology professor Ellen Langer offers this definition of mindfulness “Mindfulness is a flexible state of mind in which we are actively engaged in the present, noticing new things.”  Actively practicing mindfulness in the simple moments of our daily lives keeps us in the here and now and not in the past or the future.  It’s as simple as that.

We can both rejuvenate and practice mindfulness by taking a Savoring Walk in nature.  Here’s what I’m suggesting.

Walk outside for twenty minutes with a focus to notice your surroundings. Observe the sights, sounds and smells around you—notice the gentle wind, the crocuses and hyacinths poking up from the earth and the tender leaf buds on the trees.  Take time to absorb these details with all your senses.  And spring is a delightful time for this!

In a study done at Loyola University Chicago, participants who took Savoring Walks daily for a week reported greater increases in happiness than participants who went for walks as usual.  “Making a conscious effort to notice and explicitly acknowledge the various sources of joy around us can make us happier,” explains Bryant and Joseph Veroff in the book Savoring. 

We’re lucky to have so many beautiful choices for walks in Natick and our surrounding communities.  Here are just a few:

Pegan Hill—Located off Pleasant Street, at 410 feet, Pegan Hill is the highest point in Natick. This classic glacial drumlin is forested with pine, oak, maple and birch.  You can take in partial views from the summit southeast toward the Great Blue Hill.

Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary—With an entrance off Route 16 this expansive retreat sits along the Indian Brook and the Charles River.  Broadmoor has over 9 miles of trails where you may witness more than 150 species of birds.  The trails, some of which are wooden walkways, lead you through mature woodlands into open fields and along the edges of vibrant streams, ponds and marshland.

Sudbury Aqueduct—Spanning over 16 miles from Framingham to Chestnut Hill, this aqueduct runs right through Natick.  One entrance is on Cottage St.  This secluded trail through the woods is ideal for a morning run or a leisurely walk.

The Gardens at Elm Bank—Heading east on Route 16 the entrance is just past South Natick center.  Located on Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s 36 acres, these grounds include open fields and meadows, streams and pools, wooded areas and formal gardens.  There is something special to see and absorb in every season.

Lake Waban Path—This 3 mile loop, which starts on the campus of Wellesley College, features beautiful wildflowers and is a hiking trail for all skill levels.  Enjoy stunning views of the lake and nature at it’s best from benches along the path.

South Natick Falls—Built in 1934 this dam replaces one that was built in 1760.  This is not much of a walk yet it is ideal for playtime with young children on the grass and great for family picnics.  Benches provide seating to soak in the magnificent views and listen to the soothing sounds of moving water.  This gem is located in the heart of South Natick center.

Whether you choose one of these walks or discover some of your own, I hope you will give yourself and your family the chance to experience the beauty surrounding us.  May you savor your time walking, noticing nature and being present in the moment.  An added benefit is that you’ll be creating memories to recall and savor again in the future…like when we are once again forced to stay indoors. 

Martha Fagan is a Life Coach and Mentor who’s practice is aimed at helping people navigate life transitions, weather life’s storms and foster more resilience. She lives in South Natick with her husband Don and their dog Stitch.  Visit her website at marthaefagan.com