Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Last week, my husband and I slipped away for some time together to celebrate our anniversary. Several times, I observed a family in the hotel restaurant. It didn’t take long to hear the dad “riding” the two children with loud reprimands about the amount of food on their plates, their slowness in eating, spillage, and […]
This year, in our area of the country, fall has been slow in coming. The trees remained green long after other areas. Then, seemingly overnight, the leaves turned, providing a riot of reds, golds, and oranges among the green. Sometimes, life seasons are slow to come or slow to leave. When you’re longing for a […]
Most of us like for unpleasant or painful situations to resolve quickly. If we have surgery or an injury, we often chafe at the slowness of the healing process, wanting to hurry everything back to normal. We want the same rapidity with emotional healing, often stuffing hurts into a protected corner of mind and heart […]
Several days ago, I sat in a long drive-thru line for over fifteen minutes after ordering. Horn blasts from the car behind me occurred several times, as if those in front of him could hurry the process. When I finally made it to the window, the eyes of the young attendant glistened with unshed tears […]
Recently, as one of our grandsons played with a water gun while taking a bath, he sprayed the bathroom wall as well as the floor. Our daughter warned that if he did it again, she would take the water gun away from him. When he didn’t stop, she followed through, taking the water gun. The […]
Although I enjoy the change each season brings, fall is among my favorites. I love the crisp coolness and bright blue skies of fall mornings, the subtle infusion of color in trees, the smell of burning leaves, and sounds of fall. Growing up, the local high school was on the other side of the creek […]
With the advent of football season, prognostications of success and defeat, analyses of injuries and coaching, talk of winning and losing, and endless rankings are everywhere. I sometimes wonder how players and coaches feel about the scrutiny they’re under. Expectations of perfection abound. Lauding and criticism stumble over each other. But what of personal success? […]
Anyone who has served as a caregiver for any length of time knows the challenges, one of the greatest being self-care. When your focus is on someone else, you put off seeing your own needs and attending to them. Don’t be fooled into thinking caregiving applies only to the aging. Mothers, spouses, siblings, and friends, […]
With the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II, much has been said about her commitment, work ethic, and love for family. As a 21-year-old, she pledged herself to a life of service, not knowing that she would step into the role of queen much sooner than anyone expected. Over her seven decades on the throne, […]
In the process of cleaning out my aunt’s house, I’ve discovered a treasure trove of old photos, some I’ve never seen before. I’ve always loved vintage photographs. They send my mind spiraling to a different time and place. Both my parents enjoyed photography. In fact, my mother was the photographer for the local newspaper during […]