Letter from Jenny

by Dr. Jenny Finn

Sep 04, 2026

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What you can plan is too small for you to live.

What you can live wholeheartedly will make plans enough

for the vitality hidden in your sleep. ~ David Whyte

Dear Springhouse community,

I had an experience at my oncologist’s office that I wanted to share with you.

I love my oncologist. And I love the people who work with her. This is not personal. It is about what happens when systems and institutions slowly become organized around something other than life.

As I sat in the room waiting for my doctor, the nurse came in to take my vitals. As she took my blood pressure, she asked me the usual questions—the ones they are required to ask. As she finished up, she inquired, “Can you just go home and rest now?” I said, “Nope. I am going back to my work that I love. I am excited.” She stopped and looked at me with a blank stare. After a long pause, she asked through a look of surprise, “Oh, are you being sarcastic?”

“No, I am not being sarcastic,” I said to her. “I am serious. I love my work.”

She responded, “I have never heard anyone say that.”

...

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Our Springhouse newsletter is a gathering place for stories across our intergenerational community. Each issue includes letters from those who shape and are shaped by Springhouse. Together, these stories reflect the many ways we are envisioning, practicing, and sharing ways of living that contribute to a world where all life thrives.

Letter from Jenny

Letters from the Springhouse Community

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