Finding the Middle Way in the Everyday

In 2005, at just 19 and pregnant, I began my journey with Buddhism in the heart of Alabama. Amidst emotional chaos and a deep uncertainty about my path, the Buddha’s teachings provided essential grounding. I signed up for the Daily Zen newsletter in 2007, finding it a valuable resource for my learning.

Life accelerated quickly. As a military wife and mother of two, I moved through Germany, arriving in Guam by 2009. Though still devoted to my studies, I deeply wanted to have a Sangha.

To my delight, Guam offered the spiritual community that I longed for. I joined a temple, connecting with like-minded individuals from around the world through Wednesday night Dharma meetings and volunteering. I felt I had finally found my spiritual home.

This sense of community, however, was brief. In 2012, military life required leaving Guam and my beloved Sangha. The years that followed were marked by profound personal shifts: a move to New Mexico, a divorce, a second marriage, a move to Italy, and the arrival of two more children.

I’ve been reading the Daily Zen newsletter since I was 21, and this year I will turn 40. The years in between have been marked by challenges, joys, and profound lessons. Through all these changes, the Daily Zen journal has been a reliable constant—a quiet “friend” arriving in my inbox each month with a fresh teaching to contemplate.

Sometimes I’m able to read the monthly lessons during quiet contemplative time in meditation. More often, however, I’ve read them while sitting in the school pick-up line or waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Now that we can listen to the reading—which is such a helpful feature—I will often put on my headphones and listen while preparing dinner for the family.

This is perhaps the most valuable lesson Daily Zen has reinforced for me: you don’t need a monastery or a perfectly calm life to continue your study of the Dharma. The teachings meet you exactly where you are.

The wisdom shared by Daily Zen has been invaluable to my journey, providing an anchor and inspiration that has guided me through the many seasons of my life.

Forever grateful for this Sangha,

Amy K.