Patrice Taisho Bucher’s poignant talk about caring for her elderly parents in her hometown of New Orleans reminds us that serious Zen practice can sometimes feel like trying to be quiet when you’re caught in a whirlwind. But the rewards are priceless. When she is able to get quiet, Taisho sees that her mother, who suffers from dementia, is expressing her concern for her daughter as best she can. And Taisho’s father, recovering from a frightening episode that sends him to the emergency room, shows her what it means to be truly present in the most ordinary way.
