Maintaining a positive perspective in hard life seasons is challenging. It’s easy to drift into a woe-is-me mindset and forget the way you feel now won’t last forever. One of my most difficult challenges in this season of grief is dreaming about Jim and then waking to find him not here. Sometimes, I don’t even […]
And Guess What
Fillers. All of us use them when speaking. Yours might be “um,” “you know,” or “right.” My four-year-old grandson’s conversation filler is “And guess what.” Although he invites you to guess, he leaves no room for you to speak, plowing forward with his next thought— “And guess what, I have a loose tooth. And guess […]
Grief—The Unwanted Companion
Since last week, a deeper level of grief has been my unwanted companion. Learning of the death of a childhood friend, who battled relentless cancer for many years, sparked deeper grief that seemed to multiply and grow. Like an invading vine that creeps unhindered, grief covered me with its unwanted presence, sending my mind spiraling […]
A March Season of Life
For most of us, March marks the return of spring, and with it, new vegetation, multiple shades of green, milder temperatures, and bright blue skies. Yet, March is a month known for its changeability. Sometimes, within just a few hours, spring-like weather morphs into strong, biting winds, severe storms, or a sudden return to frigid […]
The Heart of Christmas
Have you noticed Christmas doesn’t feel like Christmas this year? Everyone is trying hard, but despite early decorating and attempts at festive social media posts, Christmas 2020 just isn’t the same. To say this year has been hard is a massive understatement. And just when you think you’re doing okay handling the strangeness, isolation, and […]