Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
I was in kindergarten the first time I remember comparing myself to someone. As we sat in a circle for show-and-tell, a classmate pulled a shiny pair of black shoes with ribbon ties out of a silky bag. She put those shiny shoes on her feet and tapped around the circle, drumming out a rhythm […]
Last week, I was in stop-and-go traffic on an interstate highway. This highway is notorious for traffic backups and sitting in non-moving lines. It seems as if there is always a traffic accident of some form, or long lines at exit ramps that back up onto the highway. Sometimes, life is like the stops and […]
Have you ever taken a test for which you were unprepared? Perhaps you intended to study, but allowed other activities to take priority. Then, the night before the test, you tried to review, cramming principles and concepts into your head one atop the other until frustration took over and you gave up. On test day, […]
If you think people are kind, scroll through social media or spend a little time in traffic. From critical, hurtful comments to blaring horns and cars that crowd out lane changes, you quickly realize kindness is not an attribute many possess. Years ago, I witnessed a lane change that resulted in a crash. The driver […]
Each spring, I am delighted to see green leaves emerge from what look like dead sticks. During winter, those sticks appear as dead wood. Then, seemingly overnight, green emerges, and with that green, a reminder that renewal lurks just beneath the surface. Renewal One definition of “renew” is to resume after a period of interruption. […]
Years ago, when I bought a struggling plant on the sale table at a local garden store, I didn’t know what I was getting. I was attracted to the purply-maroon, triangular-shaped, butterfly-looking leaves, but didn’t know the name of the plant. I later learned its botanical name, oxalis traiangularis, commonly called ruby shamrock, purple shamrock, […]
This week, I attended a cousin’s funeral. While it was a sweet time of remembrance, and seeing other cousins, this occasion was also a sobering reminder of the brevity of life. As an only child, my cousins have always been important to me. I am blessed to have cousins by the dozens, literally. I share […]
Several nights ago, I was startled into consciousness by the sound of something falling. In my grogginess, I tried to decipher the source, finally convincing myself a picture had fallen off my dresser. Yet, the unknown genesis of the sound bothered me. Ultimately, I turned over and went back to sleep, confident that an intruder […]
Despite the prediction of a furry Pennsylvania rodent, I believe we are on the cusp of spring. Birds are chattier. Daffodils poke heads from the ground. Brown yards are tinged with shades of green. Mild afternoons hint at warming. I’m ready for the chill and dreariness of winter to take a back seat to greenness […]
February is the month associated with love. Some people are easy to love; others aren’t. When you think of the term “hard to love,” does a person immediately come to mind? Perhaps this person is a family member, a “friend,” or acquaintance you see more often than you want to. Either way, loving difficult people […]