My husband wanders into the kitchen. "Notice anything?" he asks. I glance up from the myriad of morning chores I am multi-tasking. He is dressed for work. Pants belted. Fly zippered. Dress shirt buttoned. Hair combed. Nothing seems amiss. Nothing pops out, screaming for attention. "Not a ... Read More
Things to Remember
Remembering the Most Important Part of the Story: 7 Ways Christmas and Telling a Joke Are Alike
Nothing kills a joke faster than when you leave a key ingredient out of the story. If you don't set up the joke correctly, the punch line falls rather flat. Sometimes people don't even know the joke is over. Let's pretend that you are getting ready to tell the punch line and you suddenly ... Read More
Adjusting Expectations So Your Soul Can Breathe
I was newly married and hosting my first small dinner party. I was excited, nervous, and had big plans for the night. There would be an appetizer, main dish, and dessert. And yes, big expectations about the evening going off with almost perfection. After all, I had planned for this evening. ... Read More
There’s Gotta Be Some Sort of Mistake: How Learning About Yourself is an Onging Process
I am not an early morning person. Never have been. Probably never will be. My husband, who jumps out of bed singing the praises of morning and sipping coffee as the sun peeks above the horizon, is my opposite. Ideal waking time for me is about 7:00 (AM not PM, in case you are ... Read More
One of the Greatest Gifts We Can Give Another
"You'll never be a good mother. You are to selfish," my friend said. Using a slightly different voice. Her I am trying-to-imitate-my-mother-voice. I was shocked. "She said that to you?" "Many times," she said, shaking her head at the memory. I was speechless. Before me stood a good mother. ... Read More
The Winding Little Road to Happiness
The road to happiness does not often manifest itself after some wonderful ever after experience, and then last to infinity. In fact, it rarely resembles a fairy tale story or a Hallmark movie. But then you probably already know this. All you need to do is look at your own life. Or the lives ... Read More
Sometimes It’s Better to Listen, Than Talk
I had a brother who talked practically non-stop. He must have enjoyed listening to his voice, because he most often talked aloud. During loud activities, such as a shower or mowing the lawn, he just talked louder. You always knew where to find him because all you had to do was follow his ... Read More
What if We Quit Holding Our Opinions So Tightly?
We all have opinions. About many things. Things we know about and things we don't. Other people also have opinions. Just like us, their opinions range on just about everything and anything. We know this. Don't doubt it. But when our opinions are questioned, watch out. When others ... Read More
