Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
For the last several weeks, I’ve been going through boxes long buried in our garage and Jim’s home office. Sifting through the detritus of the life of a loved one, and the places that life intersects with yours, is a bittersweet experience. Scenes appear. Conversations float. Memories take on a life of their own. Some […]
Sometimes, I wish a manual existed with instructions on how to fly solo after 43 years of togetherness. But then, I realize this solo journey is unique to each who takes flight, thus, each manual different. This week is a solo flight for me—a retreat alone. I need this time to think, reflect, and process […]
Often, life bombards us with sounds—loud talkers on cell phones in public places, raised voices in debate over inconsequential nonsense, too-loud music in restaurants, construction noise, car horns. A cacophony of sounds assault us on a regular basis. How many times have you longed for a little peace and quiet? As an only child, I […]
Long, long ago, in a faraway land, a baby was born. This is how fairy tales begin, but the story of Jesus’s birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection is not a fairy tale dreamed up in someone’s imagination; it is a true story, the greatest story ever told. At the beginning of this year, my […]
Last weekend, I taught at a writing conference. Each time I teach at a conference, I become increasingly aware that our lives weave a story. Some lives are stories of abuse, neglect, betrayal, and struggle. Other lives involve miracles, healing, and thankfulness. Life stories are powerful. Your personal story is unique and multifaceted. Each life […]
A favorite cousin gave me an amaryllis about five weeks ago. The bulb was just beginning to sprout. It was a busy day, so when I got home, I put the plant on a table in our garage. It stayed there for several weeks with minimal light. Even in those less than ideal conditions, it […]
In my search for tomatoes that taste like the kind my father used to grow in the backyard, I discovered the ones that come closest are what the grocery store labels “cluster tomatoes,” the kind with the vine still attached. Sometimes, strange things, like cluster tomatoes, speak to me about life. As I unloaded groceries, […]
Last week, I had a conversation with a friend who is emerging from a difficult season of life. For over a year, she served as a caregiver for her father while also working. His death was traumatic. A week later, she was involved in a traffic accident that resulted in significant injuries. Now, she is […]
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 […]
Have you noticed that when you face difficult situations they seem to come in multiples? We hardly ever get to do one hard thing at a time. Often, challenges stack atop each other, demanding immediate attention and vying for priority. Following are ways to find balance in life’s hard things: Learn Multi-Level Thinking I was […]