Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
December ushers in a festive season of joy. But along with that joy comes nonstop activities. Is it possible to fully enjoy this season amid all the hustle and bustle? Following are thoughts on celebrating, and balancing, this season of joy: A Full Calendar A packed December calendar brings joy, but also stress. Decide to […]
Are you in a life season when everything feels more complicated than usual? I’m there. Supposedly, the pace of life slows in retirement years. I haven’t found it to be so. Here are reflections on a season of dealing with hard stuff: Complicated Business Processes After 50+ years, a landholding corporation my father and uncle […]
Several weeks ago, I had the joy of spending a week at the beach with my children and grandchildren. I awoke each morning to the sounds of Jay grinding coffee beans, Griffith’s stage whisper, and snippets of singing and laughter. That week with my family was just what I needed to recharge, reset, and resume […]
Years ago, when my mother was alive and still living in my childhood home, the swimming pool stayed covered one summer while she was in and out of the hospital. The next year, I knew it needed to be uncovered. I expected it to be a mess, and it was. As I struggled to remove […]
I’ve never been one who randomly chooses a word for the year. Instead, I’ve noticed a word usually finds me. Last year, near the end of January, my word for the year materialized when a friend asked me to give her a word to include in a watercolor she was painting for me. Immediately, the […]
Here we are, two weeks before Christmas, and life’s hardships haven’t slowed down for many. In the past week, these are situations of which I’m aware, two unexpected deaths, a death after a years-long decline, hospitalizations, those who’ve had surgery, those caring for loved ones with cancer, and several people near death. Life marches on, […]
This year, I don’t have much Christmas “spirit.” When you are missing a loved one, all the festivities feel a little flat, as if I am a spectator rather than a participant. Although I expected this to be the case this year, it’s harder than I thought it would be. Following are thoughts on keeping […]
This week, I had the joy of hosting my church life group in my home. As we filled plates, and found seats at the table, I realized we were a few chairs short. One of the men volunteered to bring chairs in from another room. Everyone shifted as we squeezed in the additional chairs. As […]
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 […]
In these months since Jim’s death, I’ve come to view grief as a thief. I know grief is a necessary part of moving beyond loss, but without placing boundaries on grief, it runs rampant, unbridled and all-consuming. Following are reflections on the thievery of grief: Regret Everyone has regrets in grief. Less than an hour […]