Sara Harlan embraces mindfulness in “Morsels of Zen”
When Sara Harlan was a student at La Conner High School in the early 1980s, she had little inkling of ever becoming a published author.
“It was never something I aspired to, mostly because I didn’t feel like I had a story worth telling,” Harlan said. “I loved reading other people’s stories, but mine always seemed dull by comparison.”
But age and wisdom would change her outlook.
Harlan’s adult life, which has seen her teach in the distant classrooms of England, Bermuda, Haiti and South Korea before returning to Skagit Valley schools and libraries, has been anything but dull.
Those experiences and countless others of equal interest — both joyous and somber — led her to pen “Morsels of Zen,” a compilation of essays exploring mindfulness and how it weaves into every part of life, most notably with the creative process.
Harlan, whose teaching career included a seven-year stint at La Conner Elementary — she succeeded the beloved Dixie Otis — will sign copies of the book at 2 p.m. Dec. 17 at Seaport Books off Gilkey Square.
The genesis of the book was a blog Harlan started writing in 2023 for her Zen Valley Tangle website.
“Over time, those short reflections became a kind of ongoing meditation on noticing — the quiet details of nature, the rhythm of drawing, and the small, ordinary moments that bring a sense of calm and connection.
“It wasn’t until my husband, Dave, became very ill and later passed away that I truly embraced mindfulness myself,” Harlan said. “Not just as a concept, but as a lifeline. It became my way of walking with grief, not in a way that was heavy or debilitating, but gently uplifting.
“Writing these essays helped me see that beauty and sorrow can coexist, and that presence itself is a form of healing,” she said.
Harlan hadn’t planned to turn her blog into a book. She ultimately did so upon repeated encouragement from readers.
“The writing itself was already done,” Harlan said. “I chose entries from October 2023 to October 2024, my first year living on Guemes Island and the year following Dave’s death. I just needed to create some illustrations to accompany the essays.”
Harlan said the book’s readers will find a collection of essays rooted in observation and reflections that trace the rhythms of the natural world alongside the inner tides of grief and resilience.
“Each piece offers lessons that I gleaned from the world around me: Slowing down, noticing deeply, and finding strength and calm in the smallest moments of everyday life,” she said.
One of the book’s readers, Casey Killingsworth, recently told Harlan the book provides “a guide back from the edges.”
Just as she hadn’t intended to become an author, Harlan initially didn’t plan on education as a career, either. After her first two years at Whitman College, she settled on art as her major area of study.
“When I called my parents and told them, there was a silence on the other end of the line followed by a gentle plea: ‘Please get a teaching certificate, too,’” she recalled.
Harlan said it was great advice. It led to teaching assignments near and far. Along the way, she earned a library endorsement and spent a year working at the public library in Sedro-Woolley.
“I loved it, but the classroom called me back once more,” she said. “I spent time teaching in Burlington and then returned to Stanwood as a librarian, where I worked until 2023.”
Today, she has come full circle to the dream she had as a college student nearly 40 years ago. Harlan, who grew up surrounded by creative artists in La Conner, is now fully invested in her own art.
“These days, I’m focusing my energy on creating, teaching and growing a sustainable art-based business throughout Zentangle-inspired art and surface pattern design,” Harlan said, fully committed to moving through the world with curiosity rather than judgment.
And, of course, she finds time to write.
“I think the heart of ‘Morsels of Zen’ is about arriving — arriving in a new place, arriving in a new chapter of life, and settling into the practice of noticing,” she explained. “Moving to Guemes Island after Dave died gave me both solitude and community in the very best ways. This little island, and the people here, helped me learn to look gently at the world again.”
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
