Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Several times in my life, I’ve received scathing correspondence of a critical nature. Other times, I’ve had my ears blistered in person by someone with an acid tongue who felt it necessary to point out all my faults and failures. None were pleasant experiences, and some of the words still fly through my brain at […]
Years ago, not long after we moved to our current home, a visitor asked to see upstairs. We were still unpacking, so I hesitantly agreed to her request. She preceded me up the stairs, and as she reached the top, took a few steps, and then abruptly jerked open the linen closet door. I was […]
People approach the coming of fall from different perspectives. Some are energized by cooler temperatures, excited by the approaching holiday season, and happy about the return of favorite fall foods and flavors. Others, lament the end of warm summer days, extended light, and a more laid back schedule, plus, dread the harshness and darkness of […]
In recent weeks, several people I had close friendships with 30-40 years ago contacted me for various reasons. It was good to hear from them and made me wish miles, busy lives and challenging situations hadn’t pulled us apart. In each case, we are in the process of making plans to get together and catch […]
Not long ago, someone I don’t know followed me on social media. I tend to be a skeptic, so I never follow back or accept a friend request without first doing some investigation. What I discovered about this person made me queasy. Every post was a targeted, profanity-laced assault on someone I know well. The […]
Recently, I watched several documentaries about the terrorists attacks that occurred September 11, 2001. The programs chronicled the lives of several survivors. Each person began by conveying facts, but as they got further into their stories, and details emerged of the loss of friends, personal injury, or descriptions of the horrors they saw that day, […]
I was in kindergarten the first time I remember comparing myself to someone. We sat in a circle for show-and-tell as 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 tapping around the circle, drumming out a rhythm […]
Life is full of questions, uncertainties, and things that don’t make sense. Often, circumstances slow you down or halt forward motion altogether. One element that is often overlooked in life struggles is the power of faith. Some think faith is a crutch, and others never fully utilize its power. While it isn’t easy, faith is […]
Sometimes you hit a patch of life when things are hectic and challenging. You hardly have time to move from one activity to the next while navigating unexpected crises. Fears and anxiety crowd your thoughts, jockeying for position, and stringing together coherent sentences is as difficult as smiling and acting interested while someone tells you […]
Recently, I saw a young friend whose current circumstances are full of uncertainty, yet her face radiated joy. As we talked, her words weren’t filled with a woe-is-me attitude, rather wisdom far beyond her years as she pointed out good mingled with the challenges. In life, there are things that just don’t make sense—the death […]