Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
In recent months, I have spent lots of time sorting, cleaning out, and throwing away at my maternal grandparents’ home, where two of my aunts also lived. It’s been an arduous task going through the remnants of multiple lives. Sifting through photos and other memorabilia has also been emotionally overwhelming at times. But as I’ve […]
When you think of giving thanks, do you imagine a Thursday in November with family, gathered around an overflowing table? Or perhaps you envision endless football on TV, the making of Christmas lists, and plans for marathon shopping sprees. But shouldn’t Thanksgiving be more than one day a year? Among the definitions of “thankful” are […]
This week I am at a writing conference. Honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to it. Last month was one of ups and downs, challenges on top of challenges, and lots of stress and physical exhaustion. Thoughts of a week of a fast-paced conference schedule at a mountainside retreat center only added to my level of […]
Last week, as I prepared a snack basket for a friend’s family to enjoy following a celebration of life, I listened to Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor. It was what happened to be playing on Symphony Hall that day at that time. Although I’d heard the piece before, I suddenly noticed many sections end in […]
With each passing year, Thanksgiving becomes less and less recognized. Merchants haul out Christmas decorations, and advertisers warn of supply chain issues and shipping delays, while encouraging early shopping. I love Christmas—it’s meaning, observance, and celebration, but ignoring Thanksgiving on a November Thursday, and year-round, is a misstep. Giving thanks is an action that is […]
Are you wishing your life away, grasping for something different, better, or more prestigious than your current circumstances? Often, we forgo happiness and contentment, right now, by comparing ourselves to others or focusing on what we don’t have. Contentment doesn’t always come easily to us. In the last two difficult years, we’ve had a choice: […]
A few weeks ago, I posted information on social media about my new book, Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well. Someone commented, “Life gone…not on pause.” Since I didn’t know the situation that prompted the comment, I waited to answer until I had time to think. As I pondered, I sensed “hopelessness” was the […]
No one disputes the fact that last year was difficult. For our family, as for many others, the hard stuff spilled over into the new year. That’s the way it is. Difficult life seasons don’t follow the calendar, advance with any sort of orderly progression, or resolve in the time frame of our choosing. While […]
In the first few months of the COVID pandemic, I didn’t know anyone who had contracted the virus. Now, I know many, including family members. I’m not sure any of us expected the pandemic to drag on this long. It’s hard not to become discouraged by the time frame and wonder if our lives will […]
2020 This week marks the end of a long chapter of my life as I finalize the sale of my childhood home. My father built the house in 1951 and it has remained in the family for almost 70 years. As I write this, I struggle to sort my emotions and thoughts. Closing a life […]