Member Profile

I was raised in a small town in upstate New York, on the edge of the Catskill Mountains. A quaint New England town that appeared to be the stereotypical image of a Currier and Ives painting. I had one older sister and together we led unassuming lives sheltered from the diversity of the world and evil ways of the big city.

After high school, I graduated from dental hygiene school and worked for several years in a private dental practice in Pennsylvania.  Teaching people how to floss, soon lost its allure.

In 1968, I quit my job and joined VISTA.  It was a time of great social and political turmoil. I was suddenly thrust into a world of protest, poverty, and the dysfunctional lives of the mentally ill and homeless. VISTA was also my introduction to a small loving group of adults with Development Disabilities. My three years as a VISTA Volunteer had a dramatic effect on me and how I came to see the world and people around me.

After VISTA, I went back to school and became an RN.  For a short time, I worked at Cook County Hospital.  However, I could not forget the happy times I had in VISTA working with people who had Development Disabilities.  I left County Hospital and was hired as a nurse at Misericordia Home.  I loved my job and stayed for 30 years.

I found ZLMC online and signed up for a primer class (now renamed Foundations of Mindfulness).  My interest was strictly in learning how to meditate.  What I found was a warm welcoming group of people who allowed me to enter and just hang out.  No pressure, no proselytizing.  Everyone was welcome just as they are.  Eventually, I found my way to Roshi and the rest is history.

I am now a Novitiate Priest at ZLMC.   How blessed I am to have found this amazing practice at this stage of my life.  We live in a country that is completely divided by racism, distrust, and fear. The practice of Zen shows us that there is another way to live in the world. A way of openness, empathy, and clarity. Zen continues to have a profound effect on me in ways I have yet to understand. Taking refuge in the Three Treasures gives me the comfort and strength I will need to live a life by Vow.