I’m writing this from a special wooded place — an ashram in Virginia where I’m spending a few precious days with my daughter and granddaughter. Three generations kayaking on the river, practicing lunchtime silence while a swami reads from a sacred text, wandering tiny shops in the nearby historic town, savoring crystal candies from a crystal shop, and eating a bit too much delicious Korean food.

Now this morning, simply sitting in silence, rain tapping the roof and breeze rustling the changing leaves. It’s the kind of time that’s easy, where you feel present and open without trying.

And in this space, I’ve been thinking about lineage and also inner children — the ones who live in all of us.

I just finished Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book, All the Way to the River, and one chapter, My Little One, beautifully describes how she now cares for her inner child: talking to her, loving her, guiding her. That resonated deeply. Over the past few years, I’ve been doing similar work, reconnecting with the younger parts of me through IFS-based therapy, journaling, and meditation, meeting them not as problems to fix but as wise and tender beings to love.

It feels like coming full circle — and being in a bigger circle. The inner child being cared for by the adult me, the adult me being held by a higher power, the higher power connecting all of us.

And then this week, I had the chance to practice another form of care: reframing. I was headed to a networking event — the kind that usually triggers a constricted knot in my chest and a forced smile on my face. But a wise friend helped me reframe it. What if I just got curious and went there to explore?

That shifted everything. I was no longer some wannabe star worried about remembering lines or if the spotlight would find me. Cast in my new bit part, I was Dora the Explorer! Getting dressed up felt fun, not fraught. Once there, conversations flowed easily. I remembered people’s names. I connected with their stories and more naturally shared mine. With curiosity as the intention, the whole night felt less like a performance and more like play.

What I’m learning and sharing from this week: