Hi -- I'm Vicki and I’m a big believer in the power of connection – taking time to share what matters most. I love pondering...thinking about work, family and home life and I enjoy blogging about all of it. Cheers!
I love this quote from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. The first time I read it, I swear it pulsated with insight: The most beautiful people I’ve known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross The MOST beautiful people in the world? … More Letting Go of Fear
I love it when I hear our grown daughter offer a glimmer of insight so profound that as soon as she says it and the thought flies out of her mouth, she whips her head around just in time to see my grin. Yep. Nothing’s better than catching our children in a moment of knowingness. … More Guarding Our Spare Moments
This month we continue to focus on the topic of growth here at Heart of the Matter and this post is another in my short series about writing my mother’s story in my upcoming book, “Surviving Sue”. Thank you to those of you who’ve asked about maintaining the motivation to write. In this post I’ll … More Find Good Everywhere
Life serves up invitations for growth in unexpected ways. When we’re able and focused, we utilize our motivation, goal setting and agency as we identify goals and move toward completion. What goals? Any. All. When we’re in the driver’s seat, we try to scoot past diversions and focus on the goal line. I’ve learned, as … More Mother’s Day Love 💖
My book, “Surviving Sue” (coming soon) is about my mother who suffered from alcoholism, depression, anxiety, Munchausen’s by Proxy and more. It’s a lot…I know…and I promise every upcoming post from me won’t be about it. 😉 However, Wynne and I know that many of our blogging friends have powerful, inspirational stories to tell about families. This topic … More Growing Into Writing
I wrote a piece recently on my personal blog about a beloved rocking chair that my dad restored. He’s been gone for many years, but the sweet little rocker is a cherished memento of something he lovingly touched as he restored it. I’d say he improved it…the luster is pretty fabulous: When I wrote about … More Grace & Patience
In my teaching career, it didn’t matter much to me whether the class was a lecture or a smaller discussion group. Making connections with my students and seeing them build a sense of community with each other always felt like job #1. Yes…learning names was the starting point…but I found it useful to go deeper … More The Power of Poetry & Place
I believe in the phrase, ‘better together’. My friends and family like to joke that it’s just Vicki’s sunny version of ‘misery loves company’. No…it’s not. Misery is coming…if you haven’t experienced it yet, you won’t be immune forever. Living, loving…misery. It all swims together and the ocean of life can become bumpy with high … More Gratitude & Grit
I love the broad theme of “creativity” here at Heart of the Matter this month. Wynne’s suggestion that we explore the topic in periodic posts was a great one…it could easily become an indefinite series! Writing and learning from talented, insightful bloggers enriches my perspective about the ways in which we’re all ‘creative’. I loved … More Creativity of Being
Just a few months before my dad passed away, the Easter Bunny (aka my mom) gifted her not quite three-year old granddaughter, Delaney, with an unconventional gift in her basket of goodies. An umbrella. A pretty pink parasol, along with a “Mary Poppins” DVD and the standard jellybeans and marshmallow “Peep” confections. When she was … More Fresh Peeps & Pink Parasols
The Heart of the Matter 