Category: self-growth
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In Joy

I thank the Creator of the universe for another rotation around the sun today. While I’m a low-key introvert who is happy to celebrate my birthday quietly, I don’t take my special day each year for granted. So many so dear to me are no longer here. Others born the same year have flown high,…
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Definitely Maybe

While chatting with a friend over tea, I recently referred to life by its well-earned nickname. Definitely Maybe. We were comparing notes on how we can count on life being unpredictable. Life can deliver glad surprises one moment, and blindside us with “What, wait?!” moments the next. Simply put, life definitely brings -and springs –…
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Nah-nah-nee-boo-boo

Sometimes, I still say nah-nah-nee-boo-boo. If you don’t know, nah-nah-nee-boo-boo is like a punctuation mark among kids. It’s used to tease or one-up someone else. As in, “I’VE got some ice cream, nah-nah-nee-boo-boo!” Or, “I’m going skaaaaating, nah-nah-nee-boo-boo!” In any case, being on the receiving end of nah-nah-nee-boo-boo usually means pouting faces and frustration.…
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Carry On

Just the other day – and completely uninvited – COVID showed up and ordered me around for almost a week. My usual to-do list started collecting dust. I could feel the weight of unmet deadlines getting heavier on my mind. As much as I wanted to do, my body would only let me be. Be…
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Love ‘Em Anyway

Do you ever have a hard time loving some folks? The other day, I had an interaction with someone who always, without fail rubs me the wrong way. Someone who smiles sweetly at me one moment, and throws digs and jabs my way the very next. The Christian in me wants to love this Negative…
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Never Alone

There’s something about this time of year. School’s out, summer’s on, and transitions are underway. In our home, a kindergartener is now a first grader. And we have two rising seniors, one in high school and one in college. Friends have kiddos heading to sleepaway camps, where kids are learning to be a bit more…
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Still Here

Dad slipped away quietly one year ago today. And, oh, how I miss him. I remember that day in vivid detail. The steady rain. The chill in the air. How I knew he’d passed when hospice’s number appeared on my phone screen. How I let it go to voicemail because I was taking our teen…
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Running

Sooooo, is it just me, or has 2024 arrived with some sass and major attitude? As 2023 faded away, I had high hopes that the new year would at least try to be on Santa’s Nice List for 2024. At least start out on the good foot (nod to The Godfather of Soul James Brown).…
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A Fond Farewell

As the youngins say, life be lifing. But, it’s still life. And, this year often reminded me that life is such an incredible gift.
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Knowing

Years ago, I worked for a large school district. Whenever we hit red tape and roadblocks, my mentor Carol would smile at me and ask, “Can you live with ambiguity?” And each time I’d reply with a grimace and mutter, “Nope.” I’m one of those recovering perfectionists whose comfort zone is clarity. Understanding who, what,…