Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
Lovers like to claim a song as their own, a symbol of their passion. This never worked for me – the only partner who declared a song ours – “Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong” – dropped me shortly after. I dated a con-man once who dubbed “La Vida Loca” as my theme song. […]
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There’s an old black walnut tree that stands on the edge of our new property. As much as I try to not think about the next house and focus on this one – keeping it sale worthy – I can’t stop thinking about that tree. Viewed from the back deck, it is a prime model […]
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“Don’t worry Grandma; I can go at a sloth’s pace!” my granddaughter once reassured me when I confessed that I can’t keep up. So, I’m a sloth. I like to think I’m more of an old tortoise: lumbering but steady. There was a time when I was the hare: fast, but not always winning the […]
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Indecision, I’ve come to realize, is where the stress lies – that place between possibility and decisive action. Four nights I didn’t sleep, juggling worries and excitement. Now that we’ve acted, put pen to paper, I am able to make lists, and start the packing process. Exhaustion invites sleep. “It’s a lot of work!” I […]
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I love our home. It’s the perfect size for the two of us plus our two doggies. We have all the amenities we need. The only thing that is missing, I confide to a friend, is nature. For two years, we lived in our 41′ motor home, traversing North America and discovering many wondrous places. […]
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Is procrastination a pauseor fear seeping in?Let’s take a moment –broken silence –a timely pause …Reflectcollect our thoughtsleave a seedand rememberwonderBe like waterlike the squirreltouch the softnesswave goodbyeto the noiseobservetill the end of this ride. (This poem is an amalgamation of our collective thoughts on this week’s focus: pause. Thank you for the many inspired […]
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The world is a noisy place at the moment, and rightfully so. The bubble of denial has burst when it comes to systemic racism. As people march in protest demanding change, a virus lurks, threatening further losses. And, I haven’t even mentioned the absurdity of political ranting that seems so inappropriately off base right now. […]
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What’s her name?Simple questionfrom mother to son –recognizing the love-liftedjoy of his countenance. I cannot tell, said he,you’ll ask too many questions.Do I know her?No, Mom, she’s Somali.And Muslim. I felt my whitenessand all its privilegeslap me, stumbled Of course she is welcome,of course it does not matter. Had no sense of the depthof my […]
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“A store in town has activity books for the kids; can we go?” Now that we’ve expanded our bubble, I’m thinking of ways to entertain the grandchildren. I haven’t set foot in a store for three months. The idea excites me. “Better put on something decent,” I tell Ric laughingly. I pull out a top […]
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“I sleep all night with my eyes closed!” This from our four-year-old granddaughter in response to the question of whether or not she could sleep at our house. We’ve expanded our bubble. It came in response to our oldest daughter’s concerns about her child: “She’s not interested in doing anything, won’t eat, can’t sleep, and […]
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One Woman's Quest II 