Bitter or Better

Exercising is important to me. Training and being physically prepared for whatever adventure comes my way is why I work out. I run now and then because it’s good for me, but running isn’t my thing. Long or short, the distance doesn’t matter. I can be bitter or better, but I’m always ready for it…

A Difficult Decision

Once upon a time, there was a bored child. To alleviate his boredom, he began spying on his neighbors. He knew what he witnessed wasn’t his business. The people he observed were unaware, and most of the time, what he saw was of no interest to him. However, there was one time that disturbed him…

Junior Senior TP Wars

All In Good Fun

The Junior-Senior T.P. Wars are a part of the Homecoming traditions at my daughter’s high school. Every evening during homecoming week, the 11th and 12th graders hit many of the opposing classmate’s houses. Hundreds of toilet paper rolls are tossed into trees, wrapped around plants and furniture, torn into tiny bits, and strewn across the…

Four rodeo cowgirls on horseback carrying the American flag

The Rodeo’s Approach

Being in 4-H, my daughters compete in the county fair. No county fair experience is complete without a visit to the rodeo. At a time when religious opinions are openly expressed, the political climate is tense, and kindness can be hard to come by, I was pleasantly surprised by the rodeo’s approach. Before the events…

four grown wild flowers

A Year of Growth

Monumental events leave a lasting impression. Some years roll over into one another with no distinct variation. You go through the motions without noteworthy happenings. Other years go down in the books for being extraordinarily eventful. The past twelve months have been of the eventful kind for my family. There have been plenty of blessings…

The Luckiest Unlucky People

Most people equate luck to winning the lottery or something similar. However, due to several experiences, my family’s take on luck is different. We call it the Lottery of Blessings. It’s hard for us to believe in bad luck when we feel like the luckiest, unlucky people in the world. I’ll explain.   Years ago, I…

hands clenching dirt

Waste Not Want Not

Let’s take a page from the book of any Native American tribe’s philosophy and learn from their example of waste not, want not. Indigenous peoples hold Mother Earth in high regard, one that more people can benefit from learning. Believing that all living things have a soul, respect, and honor were bestowed on all things…

Nobody has to like your self portrait, but you

I Just Don’t Get It

Art museums display weird, shocking, pleasing, and beautiful works. The mediums and messages from one piece to the next vary, even among works from the same artist. Viewers are attracted to what is familiar and understandable. Works that speak to a person stay with them. Pieces that the “I just don’t get it” factor is…

Lose the “UN”

Many words begin with the prefix “un.” Those two letters at the beginning of a word usually carry a negative connotation. Think about it. The words uncomfortable, uninspiring, and undone don’t hint at positivity. Most words that start with “un” come into play when change occurs. Change is a constant, which means we face a…

Will and Way

Will and Way

I’m sure you’ve met them, but I want to introduce you to my friends, Will and Way. I met them years ago. They met at the beginning of time. Perhaps they crossed paths at the intersection of Possibility and Solution. It’s a place where they are still commonly found. They took an immediate liking to…