Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
“We need language to tell us who we are, how we feel, what we’re capable of – to explain the pains and glory of our existence.” – Maya Angelou “Do you not like the book you are reading?” My granddaughter shrugs in response. Normally an avid reader, I wonder why she keeps setting this particular […]
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Jane Juska has been on my mind all week. At sixty-six, the divorced, mother of one, decided it was time to reclaim her sexuality, so she posted an ad in The New York Review of Books: Before I turn 67 – next March – I would like to have a lot of sex with a […]
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Post marital disruption, I would go to the river every day, say a prayer for guidance, power walk off the stress, and then sit in quiet contemplation facing the water. My son referred to it as “Mom finding inner peace.” Power walking is a thing of the past, and every day is no longer doable, […]
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In July of 2013, I contracted pneumonia. After a course of treatment, I continued to experience weakness, shortness of breath, and frequent tachycardia. By January, I had seen a gamut of specialists, received no answers, and was worse. Test after test eliminated obvious possibilities. In the end, I was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. The doctor […]
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Subtle, not-so-subtle, we choose to listen or turn away; attempt to decode – a look, a scent, a nuance – Is this invitation,judgment, oran opening?Seems subjectivityinterprets subtle. The focus this week has been “subtle”. For me, it was a commitment to pay attention to my body – rest when I needed it, and attempt to […]
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Subtle is: 1. not loud, bright, noticeable, or obvious in any way; 2. small but important; 3. achieved in a quiet way that does not attract attention to itself and is therefore good or clever. Cambridge English Dictionary Subtlety is not my strong suit. I am outspoken, exuberant, and often joke that I have to […]
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Lottery has been the focus this week. In Canada, our LottoMax now has two draws a week – the dream is apparently alive and flourishing. My mind has turned to the immigration process, part of which is a lottery program. Although, I am not fully versed in this process, I remember hearing the story of […]
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A psychic told Ric that he would win $33 million in a lottery. “Good,” he responded, “because I have no retirement plan.” Always the joker. Still, it’s something we love to fantasize about: what would we do? Ric felt as if he’d won the lottery when diagnosed with Stage III cancer. Six months later, the […]
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ArtisticallyNaturedOccasionallyMadAlwaysLearningYearning… According to the True Colours system of analyzing personalities, I am flaming orange, with the least amount of gold, and a balance between green and blue. What that means is that I dislike structure, am highly creative (and a risk-taker) and in equal measure crave order, and feel inadequate. In other words, finding balance […]
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A doctor recently referred to me as an anomaly. It’s not the first time I’ve heard it from the medical profession. Hardly reassuring. The other day, walking amongst the tall green trees, wondering at the richness of the foliage around me, I spotted a twig of a branch with three red leaves on it. Odd […]
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One Woman's Quest II 