Words rule my life. I understand their power to persuade, to elevate, to devalue, and to heal. They can make me feel as if I am not alone. They allow others to share their insight and wisdom. They help me define my feelings. They become a touchstone. This poem by Donna Ashworth titled “Loss” is…
Have you noticed how many romances deal with siblings of the same sex? And how, when the siblings are all sisters things can be . . . complicated? Or perhaps it is just me. I come from a family where all the children were female. My sisters and I treated our father very well and were close…
This is a proud mama post combined with some there-are-no-coincidences post. My son Andrew is an artist whose work celebrates nature. He creates pieces that honor mountains, skies, capstone, insects and animals, plus pieces celebrating various states. He even throws in a flower every once in awhile. www.naturaltribute.com Now for the story: During the pandemic, Andrew ended…
Most of us are keenly aware of when we feel powerless. It is usually when life upsets us, when we feel we have lost control, when we start to be overwhelmed or even defeated. But most of us, especially myself, ignore what is in our power—where I can act on my behalf for what I want. Ironic, isn’t it? I have a keen…
Here is a hard lesson I had to learn: there are tougher things to being an author than getting the book published. I believed that once I had published my first book, all would be known to me. I could trust I had arrived. I had met the hardest, and biggest, hurdle and my course…
Monday and I promised myself I would do a blog post—but it is raining. We’ve so desperately needed the rain in Texas. Plus, it has been a very hard weekend. Lots to mull over and just when everything seems bleak, here is rain. So, I’m taking this as a good sign and leaving you with a pic of Tess…
I spend hours for days on end thinking about why people fall in love. And not just any love but the kind of love that lasts a lifetime—and here is one thing I know is true: Love without acceptance is an empty emotion. Granted, showing acceptance to everyone I love can be a bit of…
I’m not doing New Year’s resolutions this year. They haven’t worked. Ever. Instead, I’m setting up accountability systems. I want to connect myself with ways to hold more responsibility for changing bad habits, for living a life generous to myself as well as others. The “ah ha” moment came when a guidance counselor friend was…
Love The word Gratitude is love on steroids. It is a noun that implies that an action is in progress. It is happening! It is here! And it is a very good thing. So, setting aside the wordsmith in me, here is what I am grateful for right here and now: For my family, especially the kids, kids-in-law,…
#1 Community matters. Instead of the handout generation, my dad was raised as part of the “let me give a hand” generation. Back in his day, his hometown Garnett might as well have been light years from Kansas City. If things were going to get done, it was up to the community to make it…