Today is the first day of 2022. I know we all have hope that it will be a kinder year for us; the last two have been such jackasses.
On Where Christmas Went…
When I was a kid, my mother often read Erma Bombeck’s column to me. Mom loved Erma, and I enjoyed the column too, but I never fully appreciated the essays until I was a mother. Erma wrote the following column in 1971 and it was republished in newspapers during Christmas for years afterward. Mom had cut out the article and[…]
And Now We Are Three…
And now we are three. Then, one day, we will be two. After that, only one. And then…. This picture was taken Christmas morning, 1969. If memory serves, we all got new pajamas as our gift to open Christmas Eve. This helped insure we were somewhat presentable the next morning when Mom’s Polaroid came out. That is my older brother[…]
On Fall and Aging….
It is mid-October. Fall is here. The air was damp and cool this morning when I took the dogs out on our morning walk. Typically it is still dark when I start out, but today I lingered over my journaling and coffee longer than usual. I wanted to give the sun a little time to raise the temperature a bit[…]
On Finding Our Things…
My little sister, Piglet, ran a half marathon today. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is one of the biggest events our city has for runners. It was organized to remember those whose lives were lost in the 1995 Murrah Building Bombing, support survivors, pay tribute to first responders, and to raise money to support the Museum that has been erected[…]
On What’s In a Name?
I changed my name. Why? The first assumption made by casual acquaintances and people who didn’t know me before 1984 was that I had gotten married. “I just noticed your new email signature. I guess congratulations are in order!” But, of course that’s not what happened. I guess it would be more correct to say I changed my name back[…]
On Remembrance…
This picture is of my father, back from basic training, and just before leaving for his tour in Germany. He was a bright young man who chose to give up the last couple of months of high school (and possible jail time for a teenage prank he and some buddies took a bit too far), to serve his country. He[…]
On Mother’s Day…
Yesterday, a cashier at Home Depot handed me my receipt and said “Happy Mother’s Day.” I thanked her and said “Happy Mother’s Day to you” (or maybe Charles did). I was a little taken aback by that. I am indeed a mother. I have two grown kids and four grands. It is a role I place in high priority. But,[…]
On Living in Your Hands…
Live in your hands and your mind will learn to bow like a root. – Mark Nepo In his devotional called Live in Your Hands (Nepo), the author describes the difference in living too much in your head and not enough in the real life activity of living. He tells a short story about a man who, so distraught after[…]
On Relationship…
A simple tree by the roadside stands…