My sister sent me a text. Not unusual, except for her request. Can you send me a recipe from Mom for chicken and dumplings? A simple, straightforward request, right? Our mother never wrote down the recipe. Her mother never wrote down the recipe. I have never written down the [...]
Living on the edge of her future, a six-year-old swayed in the spotlight of the sun. Her voice, clear and unwavering, belted out the song. Standing on the edge of the stage, she feared nothing and no one. I don’t remember the song, but I do remember the girl. The [...]
The ocean and I have a love-hate relationship. I live in the paradox of longing for the healing powers of the salt water and fear of the ocean’s strength. Waves rush in, bringing hope and healing. The day water and I collided began as a fun afternoon splashing, laughing [...]
I know. Why is this post arriving on Friday instead of Saturday morning? Today marks a milestone—six years ago today, I posted the first Bits & Pieces (formerly, Inspiring Your Best). COVID gripped the world, and we locked our doors and shuttered the windows as uncertainty circled the [...]
Mundane, repetitive chores send my thoughts swirling and spiraling. I spent the day pressure-washing the deck. Not the most exciting way to spend my time, but the dirt and grime ran down the drain. I smiled. I let some thoughts, the negative ones, slide away alongside the grime. I [...]
I sometimes find myself grasping for gratitude even on the best of days. When I would complain or pout about some small misfortune, my mother offered little consolation. She shrugged and gave me these words: "Be thankful for what you have." Loss or change can strangle you. Being thankful [...]
Curiosity, my chosen muse, speaks to me in the clouds. What hides in the wonder of clouds? The small, blond-haired girl lay in the grass, watching the sky above her. Nestled in the freshly mown grass, she wondered about the clouds floating above her. Why were some fat and [...]
Here's the scene. Creativity in Action Two little blond-haired boys gathered up all the small metal cars, re-purposed the plastic racing rails, and spent hours in a world of their own making. As those tiny racers zipped down the track from the top bunk to the finish line padded [...]
I cherished my sandbox. My dad would pour sand into the box he built for me, and I would sift and push the sand around in little heaps for hours. But I found that playing in the black dirt of the vegetable and flower gardens exposed greater rewards. Small [...]
I don’t always start the day with spunk and enthusiasm. What can I, or any of us do when we find ourselves sanding in the space between where we are today and where we want to be? Do you “mind the gap?” “Mind the gap” originated around 1968 in [...]
