This is a collection of essays I have written for the Telluride Daily Planet. I had a first long run of seven years, every other Sunday, and then took a break. Then I went back on the first Friday of every month for a couple more years.
Then COVID struck; I went to health coaching school and got certified by the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches. Now I want to write about mind/body health matters because the subjects are so relevant! I will be writing every other Friday.
In both Tea Leaves and Dandelion Reflection I’ve tapped into my family history, the good old days in a ski town, personal commentary, and relevant (and not so relevant!) information.
A good friend of mine pointed out writing essays is probably a lifeline for me. In writing, we can sort out things. We fool around and have fun, and then bump into walls, fall into holes…. and then get back on our feet. We can share important information, things that inspire us and blow our minds, things that have helped us or healed us.
After experiencing great personal loss and upheaval in my life, sometimes the hours I spent writing would pull me out of the dark and into a place I felt truly at home. The plasticity of the creative process is nothing short of transformative for me. It is still so sweet to write for an audience I know and love.
It is still so sweet to put it out there.
Now I want to add this: People! Take care of yourselves to the best of your ability. Why? Because you are worth it.
ESSAYS THEN AND NOW 
Hey Michelle,
I just read your Opinion piece Resoluminaria – about 15 minutes. It made me pause, and pause again, so many thoughts and memories sprang up that it was funny. You are a part of those memories in your own way. Even though I didn’t get to learn much about your inner life back then it makes me smile knowing you are out there now, being Michelle.
Thanks for sharing so much of yourself in those little black letters allowing me to make up for lost time. I just wish I had someway of giving back in return.
Would love to hear about you!