Fantasizing about what life will be like as grown-ups is part of childhood. Children’s imaginations continually bloom with thoughts of careers, houses, spouses, and the possibility of children. They paint colorful pictures of what their lives will be like. They dream, without abandon, about their futures. With time and maturity, those dreams, or variations of…
Spring has announced its arrival. If you don’t stop and admire, you’ll miss the awesomeness of the season. In addition to the lawns turning green, flowers bursting, and trees budding, animal babies are starting to appear. These fluffy bundles are a marvel to watch as they rapidly learn their way of life. Before their fluff…
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…
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…
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…
When my daughter was about three years old, she pooped in the bathtub. You read that right, she left a turd in the tub. I seized the opportunity to make the moment a teachable one. She knew better but had done it anyway. On discovering the gift as the water drained, I asked her why…
We’re all familiar with the little, rotating circle in the center of our screens, which signifies a device is processing. Our patience gets tested when the command isn’t completed on demand. Often, we’re tempted to speed up the process by pushing buttons. The more buttons we push as the icon spins, the more of a…
While loading a Teflon pan into the dishwasher the other day, I noticed the label “Dishwasher Safe, Handwashing Recommended.” It got me thinking about how often people choose convenience over care. Humans take the easy route over what is better when given the chance. The rush to accomplish as many tasks as possible fuels our…
Learning our ABCs is the beginning of learning how to communicate. They are the foundational building blocks upon which languages are built. Once the alphabet is committed to memory, one can never unlearn it. When letters are combined, they hold meaning. Acceptance, Boundaries, and Communication were the ABCs of 2023 for me. Combining these life…
We all say it, “Next year’s gonna be…” The adjective placed at the end of the sentence depends on the person speaking. For some, saying goodbye to the close of a year approaches too fast. For others, the start of the New Year can’t come soon enough. The closer we are to December 31, the…