December 2023, and the first year of The Heart of the Matter blog is almost wrapped up. My first post here on the blog went live on January 21st. As they say, time flies…I was curious to see what I had written for that first post because honestly I’d totally forgotten. WOW! That was my … More Reflections
Let’s talk about the idea of light versus dark. There are a great number of social, cultural and religious ideals that offer a stark juxtaposition between light and dark. The viewpoint is often that darkness offers a state to be wary of, or has a capacity to undermine, or to the extreme, gives embodiment to … More Within Darkness There is Light
“Now is the best time to make a change, for the future is built upon the choices we make today.” Unknown The latest school portraits of the granddaughters: These photos are placed with one on each side of my TV. Even when the TV is turned off I can see the faces of these beautiful … More Will Anyone Say Thank You In Twenty Years?
“One person caring about another represents life’s most significant value.” Jim Rohn I was struck by a moment of utter, age-related joy a few weeks ago which then turned to age-related horror. Given that we are discussing gratitude this month what better time can there be to share. Please note however, I AM poking fun … More Still Younger…With Some Wiser Tossed In
I told a rather light-hearted tale on my personal blog this morning. A brief glimpse into what I remember as a rather courageous act for someone who was not often willing to stand up, or stand out. I remember it mostly as a first glimpse into what being bold and brave might feel like. At … More Defeating Trauma With Courage
Fair warning- this is a rather meandering post today, more thoughts than an actual point, but it seems appropriate for the rainy day I see outside my window. Just some simple musing on our topic of curiosity so I hope you will add your thoughts in the comments. Curiosity is… Curiosity is a gift that … More Curiosity and Change Over the Lifespan
I’m thinking and pondering a bit today, sparked by our topic of curiosity for the month of September. In its simplest form, curiosity is all about why. Of course there’s also what, when, where, how, why not, and according to Google and Indeed.com at least 15 defined forms of questions in our English lexicon.In my … More Do You Fear the Why?
I am going to a darker, maudlin, more personal place today which is incongruous when our theme this month is focused on happiness and joy. I know that many will say that true happiness, even joy, comes from making others happy, from giving selflessly to ensure they are creating joy in another person’s life. For … More Reclaiming Myself
Joy by Hilda Conkling Joy is not a thing you can see. It is what you feel when you watch waves breaking, Or when you peer through a net of woven violet stems In Spring grass. It is not sunlight, not moonlight, But a separate shining. Joy lives behind people’s eyes. There’s been all sorts … More Reflections on Joy
I need to be real here. Our topic of self-care this month is a tough one for me. There are the standard categories that define self-care and all are widely published online. If you are a list person, and like clear definitions blogger Erin was kind enough to write The Seven Pillars of Self Care … More Knowing, and Loving Oneself is the Ultimate Form of Self-Care
The Heart of the Matter 