Growing up in Montreal, Leonard Cohen was my hometown hero. One of his most famous lyrics, “There is a crack, a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in” (from the song Anthem), is cited more often as people look for the one ray of sun through the clouds of the current suffering of people and the planet.
The lines that precede these, “Ring the bells that still can ring / Forget your perfect offering,” resonate with me as we start this new year. I have now been at BCBS for six months, and I am so appreciative of the impactful work that we do. At the same time, with fresh eyes, I have seen areas where we might do better without striving for perfection.
The staff and I have set an intention for 2026 to do everything we can to make all that BCBS offers—study, practice, and community—accessible to everyone while minimizing our impact on the planet. Increasing accessibility means, for example:
- Ensuring that we can continue to provide meaningful access to all, regardless of economic status or circumstances.
- Doing an audit of our physical property and our online platforms for mobility, vision, hearing, and neurodiversity access.
- Reviewing our recipes so that all who come can be nourished by diverse, nutritious, and delicious food.
I will share more about our plans to reduce our impact on the planet in next month’s newsletter.
In 2026, understanding and supporting the BCBS community is a personal goal of mine. This article by Charles Hallisey and Jan Surrey from our Insight Journal, “Friendship, The Whole of Life Well Lived,” reminded me that “Friendship with good people, companionship with good people, closeness with good people, is the whole of a good life” (SN.45.2).
In this spirit, I have set an intention to deeply listen to as many of you as are willing to share your stories. I will be in the BCBS library on most opening and closing afternoons at the Center, for the next few months, and I invite you to come chat with me. I will also be in New York City the week of April 6 and in Portland on May 9 and 10. Reach out if you are interested in meeting for tea and conversation. I am also always available by email at melissag@buddhistinquiry.org. In 2026, I look forward to continuing to engage with this community to ensure we can continue to “ring the bells” at BCBS.
I want to close by sharing the first stanza of Anthem, a beautiful description of what we all know to be true.
The birds they sang
At the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what has passed away
Or what is yet to be
