Life is full of milestones. Births, weddings, reunions, and the list goes on. This weekend, our family celebrated two such milestones: a college graduation for one and turning twenty-one for another. Both big moments filled with gifts, cheers, and family dinners, all held tightly in place with one [...]
“I think that I will never see A poem lovely as a tree.” I’m crazy about trees. Always have been. As a child, I held a fascination for their strong limbs and green leaves. High above, you can hide from the world. I think I could use a sturdy [...]
In the dark, I stared at the phone. Please don’t ring. We left our small, helpless newborn in the neonatal ICU. He struggled to stay alive with every breath. “The next 48 to 72 hours will be the most critical. If his lungs develop in that time, his prospects [...]
So, how hot is it? When the Texas heat brought scorching days and humid nights, my dad would fuss and fume about the heat shriveling his tomatoes or thwarting the growth of his crooknecked yellow squash. We heard, more than once, “It is so hot you can fry [...]
I watch for little signs of hope. I hear a new birdsong, a visitor to our feeder found his way and stopped. I wish I could hear more songs and less shouting, yelling, anger-filled voices. February seems to revel in bewilderment, moving seamlessly from ice to gentle breezes, and then, [...]
New Beginnings: A New Year Every set of eyes holds a dream, a hope a new beginning. I ponder what the year promises, what wonders, awe, and magic lie hidden within each day’s unfolding. On this, the last day, the ending, We remember moments, laughter, fears, and longings buried [...]
I’m working on building my gratitude muscles keeping them firm and steady. The first line of the poem "Two Weeks After a Silent Retreat" by Heather Lanier gives a gentle indictment of the times I lose my love, even if for a heartbeat. Lanier’s poem is one of many [...]
I fumed after reading my doctor’s note following my annual wellness visit. “Lose weight.” His advice? Eat more protein. Been there. I’ve passed through the hallowed halls of every diet plan available. My shelves are full of books, cookbooks, gluten-free, low-calorie, no fat, no sugar, no carbs. No. No. [...]
Flashback Photos flashback in time to a youthful sailor blue eyes and a beguiling smile— Grandpa. Years pass four daughters laugh he walks each down the aisle paving the future with new hope— joyful. Twenty grandchildren come some share his coal-black hair all learning lessons of family— loving. [...]
Joy My name is Joy. Today I feel like a solitary leaf clinging, waiting. Sometimes I am a cloud. Sometimes I am a rainbow. But always I am hopeful. I ask the world, “Where is your kindness?” And the world answers, “Today I feel like a solitary leaf clinging, [...]
