I found last week’s helicopter and plane crash upsetting and disturbing, followed by a second crash and more lives cut short. The reality of the instantaneous loss of that many lives clung to me all week like a cold, wet blanket, heavy and oppressive. Perhaps, the fact that the emotions felt so familiar factored in. […]
Beyond a Year of Firsts
Friday of this week marks the one-year anniversary of the day I found Jim’s lifeless body at the top of the back stairs. It’s not really the kind of anniversary you want to acknowledge, yet there it is on the calendar, the “3” pulsing with emotion and memories. For many months after Jim’s death, I […]
Enjoying Now
Sometimes, we forget to enjoy now because we get caught up in thinking joy comes later. I’ll enjoy the moment when I accomplish this or that. I’ll be happy when this problem is resolved. I can relax and enjoy life after I’ve jumped these hurdles. In looking ahead, in focusing on forward motion, don’t miss […]
Take Time
Last week, someone I don’t know took the time to email me, telling me how much an article I wrote five or six months ago meant to her. As a writer, knowing your words have a positive impact on others is a great gift. If this person hadn’t spent those few minutes writing a brief […]
Finding Peace During a Pandemic
As I sat on our deck early one morning, I experienced peace for the first time in many weeks. A gentle breeze rustled the trees. Alternating cicada chatter and birdsong filled the air. Dappled sunlight painted patterns on the lawn and puffy white clouds floated by in a bright azure sky. For those moments, to-do […]
The Resurrection Life
One night, just as I was getting in bed, I heard the persistent whine of an alarm. After several minutes, I peeked out the window, slightly annoyed that someone was allowing the noise to continue for so long. But the sound seemed closer than a neighbor’s house. I walked down the hall and the sound […]