The Secret Sauce

"May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder."

John O’Donohue

Hello dear friends,

I hope you're finding a little time to slow down, relax, and simply be as we move into July. Isn't it funny how our long winter months can sometimes seem endless, and yet summer... Well, I have already found myself saying more than once, "Please, please slow down!"

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I had a little time to reflect on all the special moments of this past month, and it will be one I know my family will always treasure. On June 19th, our oldest daughter, Alana, married her sweetheart, Matt. Nearly the entire month was filled with family visiting (including the furry family members!). I am so grateful for the time we all spent together. It has been a while since our home has been so full and bustling!

With so much joyful activity, I missed sending two Time for YOU Tuesday emails in June. That is very unusual for me, and I truly missed being in touch. I always enjoy receiving an email or hearing from someone I run into when one of my weekly reflections resonates with them. Over the past six years, it feels as though we've become a little community, and I like to think that through these weekly reflections we encourage one another to live in the moment, learn from our shared stories... and honor what matters most.

June was a beautiful reminder to practice what I so often write about... to be present for the moments right in front of me.

So after a busy June, these first quiet days of July have felt like a gentle exhale. I'm back to my morning walks and tending my small garden, which has sprouted almost as many weeds as flowers! As I have been doing both of these things, I have found myself joyfully and gratefully reliving the many gifts of June.

Like the fullness of my garden, a cornucopia of words has been flowing through me... rainbows, music, gathering, friendship, rituals, connection, joy, laughter, love.

So, I hope you can pour yourself a cup of tea (or coffee;) and join me for this month's Cuppa with Clare.

Peace & blessings,

Clare xxx

Click here for my SoundCloud track, "Resting With the Breath" Meditation.

Cuppa with Clare

The Secret Sauce of Life…The Pause

As I have reflected on the many gifts of June, a few in particular keep replaying in my heart... the beautiful double rainbow that appeared at the start of Alana and Matt's wedding weekend. Its presence felt like such a precious gift, a loving blessing that seemed to whisper, "Enjoy... and let the celebrations begin."

After all, as joyful as weddings can be, anything that involves so many details to attend to, plans to coordinate, and people to consider inevitably brings a little stress along with it. After the rain, that rainbow felt as if any lingering worries had been washed away, and it invited us to simply be present for this special time.

In a fast-moving, constantly changing world, I find it quite lovely that weddings are still among the occasions that invite us into rituals that have endured for generations. Vows. Blessings. Shared meals. Toasts. Music. Dancing.

The rituals themselves are not what matter most. It is what they invite us to remember. They offer us a moment to pause... and, in that pause, to recognize the love, connection, and sacredness of what is unfolding before us.

Perhaps that is what all meaningful rituals have in common. They begin with a pause.

There were many memorable moments, cherished pauses throughout the weekend. Another that will forever stay tucked in my heart was when Mike surprised Alana during his Father of the Bride toast by playing his mandolin and singing Bob Dylan's Forever Young.

While music has always been one of the beautiful threads woven through Alana's life, for Mike, this is a newer journey. He has only been playing the mandolin for three years and had never sung anywhere other than around a campfire, so my eyes filled with tears as he stood in front of the people he loved most... not worried about playing perfectly, but simply wanting to offer Alana a gift from his heart.

Accompanied by a dear friend on guitar, he shared that moment with her, and oh, how I love that about music... it has a way of gathering memories, emotions, and in this case, love into a single moment.

And then there was the dancing. How fun to have people of such varied ages out on the dance floor throughout the entire evening, laughing, moving, celebrating, and simply enjoying being together.

The next morning, many of us gathered again for breakfast, continuing conversations, sharing stories, and savoring a little more time together before everyone returned home.

I so appreciate it when time together can be extended a bit longer, because in our busy lives we are often so quick to move on to the next thing. And yet, sometimes the moments after the "main event" hold some of the best memories.

To me, pausing is the secret sauce of life. Because it gives us the opportunity to bring our full awareness to the moment, and, in doing so, our lives can be immensely enriched. We notice more. We feel more deeply. Gratitude comes more easily. Joy lingers a little longer. We remember what truly matters and how blessed we are to be on this earth.

While a wedding ceremony is filled with rituals that mark one of life's most meaningful milestones, we are given opportunities every day to create smaller rituals that invite us into that same spirit of presence. For me, it is mindfully making my morning tea and sitting in my garden with Leo, or doing my morning Reiki and prayers, or taking a daily walk, to notice the beauty of the world around me. For you, it may be something completely different. The ritual itself matters less than the intention and attention we bring to it.

These moments may seem small, but they remind us that life is not simply a series of tasks to complete and check off. It is a collection of moments to savor.

As I reflected on June, I realized that although there were special moments etched into my heart, no single moment "took the prize." The beauty was in ALL of it... family, friendship, music, dancing, unexpected rainbows, and the delight of New England in June. Each moment became another thread that, together, was woven into the fabric of the month.

And isn't that what a tapestry of life really is... individual threads woven together to create something far more meaningful than any one thread alone.

Wishing you many moments this month to pause, notice, and savor the beauty woven into your own tapestry of life.

With much love,

Clare xxx

Classes, Offerings & Gatherings – Summer 2026

Some upcoming opportunities to gather, reflect, and support your well-being.

Online Meditation & Self-Reiki Community

July 13th • 7:00–8:00 pm

No experience is necessary. Simply come as you are.

These community gatherings will be offered on a donation basis. Contributions are gratefully received, but never required. All are welcome.

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83169348674?pwd=FYSbadESZ2VviUQKuioMbpdcGTyp8k.1

Upcoming Surgery or Medical Procedure?

Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster

Mind–body support for those preparing for surgery, recovering from surgery, or living with chronic health conditions.

Click here for my brochure.

Looking Ahead to July & August

Thank you to those of you who have reached out with interest in summer classes. By next week's writing, I will have some dates confirmed. Excited to see some of you this summer!

Reiki I & Reiki II Classes

Reiki Master Class (for Reiki II students)

Guided Meditation & Journaling

Classes Exploring Loving Kindness & Self-Compassion