This morning, I woke up full of hope and captured a lovely morning sky. All seemed rosy until I began to read stories about the pandemic. My inherited worry gene kicked into full gear. Will our granddaughter enjoy her new school? What about the tires on the car? What if [...]
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. This statement has several attributions, including Buddha Siddhartha Guatama Shakyamuni and Lao Tzu. As a teacher, I reminded myself of this saying every day. I might have shown up to teach, but students possessed different levels of readiness. I [...]
“I think that I will never see A poem lovely as a tree.” Joyce Kilmer’s poem, “Trees,” expresses the beauty and majesty of trees. As a child, I held a fascination for trees and wanted to hide in them all day. I can’t explain the mystical aura that surrounds [...]
I didn't want to lean into sorrow today. As I started my morning, a song from the Broadway play and movie, Camelot kept playing in my ear. The song expresses the hope of spring when we throw our cares away after the long winter. Trying to shed the sadness [...]
Stumbling Stones Stumbling stones reminded me of a past I would rather forget. I must not. As we strolled the cobblestone streets of Mainz, Germany, the guide pointed out a small brass memorial. I took a photo of the Stolpersteine with the name of someone I would never meet. [...]
"Live ife to the fullest." Cliché? No, a warning you don’t want to miss. We sat in the pool, floating along with the sunset. The water still too cool, but warm enough to sit on a float. Young people have a pristine and uncomplicated view of the world. I [...]
Finding Nemo is a story that can teach you how to build persistence. In the backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef, Marlin and Cora wait for their Clownfish clan to hatch. Tragedy strikes when a barracuda invades their sea anemone. Marlin finds himself with only one egg and no [...]
Silence gives the mind a moment of peace, a chance to listen to nothing and everything. Leaving words hanging until a clearer thought breaks through. Silence Sitting between here and now my mind crosses back and forth looking for answers waiting as the silence crowds out words. Meditation requires [...]
Never underestimate flannel—or people "Now, each of us has his own special gift. And you know this was meant to be true. And if you don't underestimate me I won't underestimate you." ~ Bob Dylan My granddaughter listened as I described my recent writing projects. Then she started giving [...]
Joy is in front of us; if we look. You don't need to search for joy. That feeling of well-being or good fortune doesn't elude you if you choose to open your eyes. “Find ecstasy in life: the mere sense of living is joy enough.” —Emily Dickinson Trista Ainsworth [...]
