“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ~ Maya Angelou ~ THERE’S AN OLD SAYING: “The only constant in life is change.” If that’s true, and I believe it is, you’d think that we’d all be […]
Uncommon gratitude is a state of being that takes focus and nurturing in order to grow. What are you grateful for this week?
There are times when it is easier to focus on what’s not working in our lives than what does work. And, once the “not working” mindset has taken hold, it’s difficult not to live precariously from one challenge to the next in a downward emotional spiral. I have been reminded […]
As I prepare to gather with my family to celebrate the holidays, I feel immensely grateful for you, my readers and writing friends. Your comments and emails enrich my life in so many ways. And because you take the time to share your thoughts and experiences, I feel part of […]
My youngest son turned eighteen this week. Five days before his birthday, he left home, marking a significant turning point in both our lives—for him, the start of independence and life as an adult; for me, a sudden transition to “empty nester.” Now, I sometimes find myself standing still, looking […]
As we in the U.S. gather together with our families to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday, our thoughts turn to all the ways life is good, the loving people who surround us, and all the things we have and have access to that we have perhaps taken for granted the rest […]
On these hot summer days, keeping up with watering can seem a chore, another thing to do in an already busy day. That’s the track my train of thought headed today, when I heaved myself away from my computer desk and grumbled my way outdoors, hoping to get to the […]
For Mother’s Day this year, I traveled up the California coast to Fort Bragg to visit my second-oldest son (whose birthday it also happened to be) and family. We had a great time together: Among other things, we played cards and board games, meandered through the quaint town of Mendocino, […]
A FRIEND recently told me that she keeps a journal only during the tough times and that she finds it difficult to write when everything seems to be going well. And she’s not the first person to have told me that. I’ve noticed that when things are difficult, we’ll write […]
ON A RECENT WALK, the afternoon light filtered softly through a thick web of oak branches and leaves, the tree branches forming an archway that beckoned me into nature’s hall and to some magical place beyond. Spider web filaments, stretching from branch to branch, danced in the breeze. Beneath my […]
IT RAINED ALL NIGHT last night. These forever gray skies are beginning to get me down a little, and I long for sunshine and warmth. Not the kind of warmth that comes from sweaters and heating vents, but the soak-into-my-bones kind of warmth that comes only from the sun—or a […]
OUR LIVES ARE MARKED by months, seasons, and years. To celebrate these turning points and rites of passage, we’ve created traditions and formal rituals. We celebrate birthdays, religious holidays, weddings, and graduation from kindergarten, high school and college. We memorialize those we love through funeral services. And every year, at […]
