The young man spent most of his free time at the firehouse. If he wasn’t at his warehouse job, the one that paid the bills, he was found most evenings at the firehouse. He was the youngest volunteer on the team, so most of his time was spent cleaning up after the rest of the … More In the eye of the beholder
I have a neighbor with whom I’ve bonded because she’s trying to get pregnant via in-vitro fertilization (IVF). As a cancer survivor, she and her husband haven’t been able to start a family without fertility intervention. She correctly guessed that as a single-mom, I must have had help to create my family. So she’s shared … More The Courage to Try
I love musing about the symbolism of rain and raindrops. I wrote about my sweet sister’s love of the B.J. Thomas song, “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” a while back. Lisa is one of the most courageous humans I know as she navigates complicated memories of love and loss – mixed-up recollections from her head … More Inspired by Raindrops
The moment I walked through the door of a 108-year-old allegedly haunted house and saw a bed in the living room — the homeowner was too afraid to sleep in her bedroom because of all the activity upstairs — I knew I was in for a wild night. I found the idea of ghosts more … More Confronting Her Demons
Image by Jordan Benton by Pexels. Sweat dripped down my back. I told myself that it was from the many trips my parents and I had walked up and down the stairs in the summer sun, lugging my bags from the car to my college dorm room. I knew better though. I was nervous about … More Sink or swim moments
When my mom recently replied to me with a sentence starting, “You must understand,” my attention suddenly focused. Understanding my mom has always been harder for me than it was to relate to my dad. He and I shared the same big picture approach to life. Whereas my mom is so much more detail-oriented that … More The Courage to Ask Questions
I saw a sweet father-daughter moment the other day as a new driver slowly circled an empty parking lot with her father (I presumed) riding along – pointing and directing as they swooped and turned and practiced parking, reversing and cornering. I smiled as I passed them and thought about my dad, Sonny, and what … More Courage Behind the Wheel
If you’re asked to describe a courageous person, what comes to mind? A firefighter, dashing to save a life? Galileo Galilei’s defense of the Earth revolving around the Sun? Roald Amundsen’s expedition to the South Pole? In each of these cases, there’s a need to face danger, so courage is present. But is this the … More Can You See Different Shades of Courage?
The other night, we were snuggled up at bedtime, when eight-year-old Miss O said, “I asked all my friends at recess to play with me and they all said, ‘no.’” Four-year-old, Mr. D hadn’t shown any sign he was tracking until he chimed in with, “Amelia [one of his classmates] says I can’t follow directions.” … More Congratulations for Staying In The Game
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
The Heart of the Matter 