I’m deeply grateful I’m allowed to contribute among this community. But I have very, very, shamefully infrequently availed myself of this opportunity I haven’t written much in the past year; not just blog posts, but much of anything. Plays, prose, shopping lists. I’m not fully sure why. But I’ve tentatively started again. So I hope … More Just a Quick Hello
Over the weekend, I helped my mom with her garden. Every weekend, we spend hours pulling the pervasive and pernicious weeds. Every week, they seem to multiply. While brainstorming ways to resolve the problem once and for all, I was reminded of a newsletter from James Clear in which he addressed getting to the root … More Uprooting Our Problems
The most stressful days of my childhood were “free dress” days. My parochial elementary school required a uniform, which made life easy. However, once per month, we had the opportunity to wear appropriate street clothes after a successful fire drill. As an indecisive child with a tactile sensory disorder, long monkey arms, and a wardrobe … More The Opportunity To Change For The Better
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
I can’t think of a more irritating thing to hear when you are crossing a patch of ice than, “Walk lightly!” But given the source, I took a deep breath and gave it a go. We were on Mt. Si, a popular training hike near North Bend, Washington and there were spots on the trail … More Walk Lightly
Holiday time brings a few friendly ghosts forward. I welcome them. No…not like the story of the “Disappearing Girl” that I shared recently. The rush of November and December will invariably stir up melancholy moments where I receive – gladly – glimpses of my dad. Tiny whispers as I hear myself think in ways he … More A Hug in Four Parts
My birthday is in late-November so has always been celebrated alongside Thanksgiving festivities. Right after devouring the turkey and mashed potatoes, my late grandmother, younger cousin, and I would gather around a cake and blow out the candles in unison. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It’s the time of year when the unrelenting … More And, Today, I Am Grateful
“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
The Heart of the Matter 