In high school I used to love weightlifting, specifically the bench press. Seeing my name on the “100 lb+ Club” was my goal. It would mean I was strong. The first time I bench pressed I lifted 95 lbs. It took me no time to reach 100 lbs. Still, I had more in me. Slowly,…
The other day my four-year-old neighbor approached me with an outstretched hand. On her palm lay a large, listless grasshopper. Lucy said, “Look what I have. It’s a grasshopper. I pulled it off another grasshopper. They were stuck together!” To which her mom replied with raised eyebrows, “Now you have a grumpy grasshopper.” Little did…
Recently, I was asked what I think it means to have grace. My answer was that grace and kindness are much the same. Both are gifts and there is no better gift than being kind. Having grace is a means to obtaining peace. The more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me…
Life can be incredibly disappointing at times. People work hard for what they think they deserve only to be left wanting more. The want for more money, more accolades, more opportunities, or more breaks is never ending. Wanting more isn’t a bad thing as long as some “Rolling Stone Wisdom” is applied to situations. The…
On our first anniversary I started a tradition of giving my husband a penny. It has become a penny of many. The idea was that pennies and wedding anniversaries start out the same. In the beginning both are shiny and new. Over time the shine can dull but that doesn’t mean the value changes. A…
Deep down we all want something to believe in. The only way to know that our beliefs are not foolish is to question them. Take the Tooth Fairy or Santa Clause. Parents go to great lengths to keep these beliefs alive. I grew up thinking my Tooth Fairy was a world traveler because of the…
Everyone has a story to tell about a traumatic experience because there’s no escaping trauma. Trauma is a thread that connects people, as no human is immune to it. What trauma looks like is individual, but at the core is loss. Death, divorce, illness, natural disaster, and war are just some of the kinds of…
Rainbows have always stopped me in my tracks, even as an adult. The riches of a rainbow exist with or without a pot of gold at the end. The double-arched rainbow I saw the other day was unlike any I have ever seen. Cars on the road slowed to get a better glimpse. The sight…
A diamond is considered by many to be the most precious of all gemstones. The untrained eye isn’t able to see the beauty of diamonds in the rough, but understands the potential value they hold just from being diamonds. Without special tools the flaws or clarity held deep within aren’t usually obvious. Once cut and…
I don’t pay much attention to “pop-up holidays” as I call them, but I think this Thursday is one worth noting. Thursday is National Chocolate Day! Milk, dark, white they are all delicious if you ask me. Pop a cholate in your mouth and savor the sweetness. Forest Gump coined the sentiment, “Life is like…