On The Fly

In this episode, Reclaim Curiosity–Through the Lens of a Diamond . . .   “Beauty is the illumination of your soul.” — John O’Donohue. As a young gemologist, I stood before diamonds as some might stand under the stars—quiet, attentive, drawn in by something that felt much larger than language. Remember that magical moment when you first placed a diamond under the microscope! If you haven’t experienced it, allow me to paint a picture. Tilting it back and forth, the light danced into vibrant colors, reminiscent of that magical rainbow from the previous blog post ( The Rainbows Promise ), revealing a beautiful secret before your eyes! I thought: This isn’t just about science. This is about wonder. But it wasn’t until I began teaching others to see that I truly understood the art of curiosity — and how easy it is to lose it. My colleagues referred to this as the Art and Science of Gemology. Most students entered my classroom expecting a technical lesson: grading charts, clarity scales,...

In this episode,  Beyond the Post-it Notes: Finding the Anam Cara . . .  Last week, when I arrived at Dr. Don’s home to help him with computer issues and our biweekly lunch, I found myself reflecting on the wide range of topics we always discuss. We connect as if we’ve been friends for years, even though he’s 92 and I’m 68. It’s funny—during our conversations, age seems to disappear. As we reviewed his list of computer questions on his Post-it notes, he surprised me by handing me a book. "Here, I want you to have this book," he said, his expression resembling that of someone offering something precious or secret. Later that day, I found myself engrossed in its pages. The book is "Anam Cara" by John O'Donohue. For weeks, I had noticed it on his desk and felt curious, yet I had no idea what I would discover inside. Right from the very first chapter, "The Mystery of Friendship," this book beautifully captures a feeling I experienced in that moment with Dr...