Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
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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From my place of privilege, I sit and watch George Floyd beg for breath, call out for his mama, and know that I can never truly understand the plight of another, and that I, by virtue of my whiteness, am part of the problem. I have no words adequate enough to express what I am […]
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And what will you feelwhen death,as you proclaim,passes you by Targetsa beloved aunt,an elderly neighbour,a nephew with asthma Will you pauseto ponder your partexpress regretfor misplaced pride Or preoccupiedwith your own rightssporting chest protruding blinderswill you deny accountability? “The president doesn’t wear a mask”you pronounce the words as gospeltoo young to recognize that choiceshave consequences, […]
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Ric is taking advantage of warm weather and stripping the deck. I am inside, fighting an insomnia induced hangover, trying to complete tasks with two ranting dogs underfoot. They want to be outside; I want to be in bed. Ric just wants to get the job done. In the background, Andrew Cuomo is telling people […]
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One Woman's Quest II 