I appreciate and admire my blogging friends who share their observations about people, whether in chance encounters doing everyday things or sweet reminiscences about home and hearth from days gone by. Examples? Ally Bean and slices of human nature at the grocery store; Deborah and a forested encounter with a woman wearing her favorite color … More Inspirations
The other day I got swept up in an interlude of wonder…thinking about a former student and whether or not she was well, and safe. She struggled with an eating disorder and as I got to know her, she made great strides toward recovery but the issues she faced would not be remedied easily and … More “Hold Them in Your Heart With Love”
There’s a word I use a lot and I’m bothered by it at times. Connection, connection, connection. I’d like to find suitable synonyms, but I haven’t devoted the time or effort to exploring. As much as I appreciate the quieter moments in my life, this introverted girl needs to know she’s seen and heard, just … More See-Saw: Seeking Quiet, Seeking Connection
The phrase “bundles of joy” makes me think of bringing my kids home from the hospital. My mind zooms to that hot August afternoon when I walked out of the automatic doors of the hospital with Miss O strapped into the car carrier for the very first time. My mom pulled the car around and … More Bundle of Whose Joy?
I enjoy questions. Gentle probes, whether I’m the inquiring mind or the query recipient. When I admire someone, I find a way to ask about a skill or quality I observe and appreciate. How did you come to be this way? Do you have a story to share? Occasionally, I’ll admit, it’s a technique I … More Light & Love
I was driving in my car today and caught myself thinking fondly of my ex. We’ve been broken up for one year and seven months now. And in that moment, I realized that I have only ever truly loved two men. Both of these men were long-term partners and in both relationships we lived together for a time. When you live with someone and share your life with a person for several years, you see everything about each other, no matter how well you try to hide things. And as I was thinking about my ex today, I was just remembering all of the good, all of the things I truly loved about him. In that moment, I also realized that all of the negative thoughts I’ve carried since the breakup, all of the things that were said and not said during our parting, just faded into the distance. And now, only love remains. … More After Time, Only Love Remains
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
I hate to deliver such tough love wisdom, but I do believe that often times, pain is our best teacher. Because most of us as human beings don’t like to experience pain. We want to expedite the process of moving through and/or eliminating our pain as fast as we possibly can. Because it feels uncomfortable and miserable when we’re in it, right? And because of this, I think us wise ones choose to make the best of our pain, move through it in some kind of efficient way, and see what we can learn from it. The rest of us (of course I do this too) often just try to ignore it in the hopes that it goes away. However, that often leads to tumors and other ailments in our body, so I don’t recommend this method. … More How Do We Fill Up Our Cups When We’re Empty?
It’s been a wild and wonderful week with activities related to the official launch of my book, “Surviving Sue”. I thought I was humbled before – grateful for the interest and support from friends and family – but the intensity grew as the week unfolded. I share a “Peek Inside” the launch party on Victoria … More When We Get Swept Up in Self
The other night, my almost four-year-old Mr. D ran up to me brandishing his strawberry popsicle and said, “My girl wants a red one too.” Your girl? What? Let me back up. Our neighborhood has a wonderful Farmer’s Market. It not only has lots of stands of fruit, vegetables, and products where we can buy … More Love at First Sight
The Heart of the Matter 