She Was One of God's Kind

Blessed is the Wise One who holds the Secrets according that there are no two faces which are alike and that their thoughts/opinions are not alike. -a 2000 year old blessing


Amanda Stang Weinberg died on June 13 at age 50 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is survived by her husband, Howard, and her two children, Maya and Benjamin. I counted her as my dear friend.

She was One of God’s Kind.

A Tribute:

Her mother was my best friend and confidante. So when Amanda, her only child, offered to babysit our three “angelic” daughters, we accepted. Even then at the age of 16 Amanda was an atypical babysitter and woman-to-be. From bugtime to upside down popsicles, she brought her whimsical and quizzical demeanor to the girls’ playtime. They sat with Amanda and talked about life’s intricate designs. No make-up or Barbie doll games. Amanda was a no-frills, crunchy granola, birkenstock teenager who was more concerned with the internal mechanisms of the heart than the external packaging of a person’s physical being.

For the thirty five years that we knew her, Amanda did not stray from her authentic self. From college student to single lady in New York City to graduate school videographer to loving wife and mother, Amanda stayed on her life’s inner course. She was a woman of great character who dared to live according to her own scripture.

When the cancer arrived and stayed for five years, Amanda wrote another chapter entitled, "simple courage." Again, she did not shift her attitude on life or her moral compass. Maybe that is what kept us secure in her presence.

May her memory be a blessing and may her unique soulprint be forged in our hearts for eternity.

Perpetual Movements for Life

My life is in perpetual physical motion. I ride my building’s elevator. I board a bus. I step into the metro. I fly on a plane. I transport myself by train. I reserve a ZipCar. I am driven.


Simultaneously, my life is in perpetual spiritual motion.   I pray. I meditate. I reflect.  I chant.  I sing. I study holy texts.


And sometimes, I dance into my soul’s footprints.


These are the movements of my body and soul on weekdays.


When the Sabbath arrives,  I cycle into high spiritual gear where I remain perpetually motionless.

Blessed is the City and the Country

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Deuteronomy 28:3


I love the city.


The pulse, the rush, the rhythm of people’s footstep flowing nowhere and everywhere.


I love the country too.


The quiet ecstasy of God’s creations scattered across the rolling hills of verdant verve.


I love them both equally like a mother’s love for her two children, both unique, both distinct, both beautiful.

Prayers of Elevation

There are two prayers that transform us.


The prayer of gratitude and the prayer of forgiveness.


Climb the mountain of gratitude while saying "Thank you!" all the way up.


On your way down, journey towards forgiving yourself and say I am sorry to one other person.


Elevate both prayers in your life religiously.