It takes grit to make it through life. Grit is more than an idea. It’s a practice that can be applied every day, especially the tough ones. Once you know the recipe for grit, there’s nothing you can’t handle. Grit has many ingredients, but there are four main components: God, Resilience, Integrity, & Toughness. The…
Each month, a full moon hangs in the night sky. To most, this monthly occurrence isn’t noteworthy. Moons wax and wane without much acknowledgment. At our house, that isn’t the case. Not a month goes by without noticing the full moon. My father makes sure of it. Years ago, when my daughters were little, their…
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…
It’s easy to forget to show ample appreciation to those closest to us. The people we interact with daily and share the minutia of our lives are the ones who most need to be sprinkled with gratitude. Our daughter did just that when she arrived home from school the other day. She gave my husband…
We have choices in how we cope with the curve balls life throws our way. The options are accepting or taking. Acceptance is the ability to be grateful for what you receive, whether you like it or not. You can take what you are given in life as though it’s a burden, or you can…
Have you ever noticed sand in your suitcase? No matter how much you brush it off, leftover bits of travel hitchhike their way into luggage only to be found later. Blessings are much like granules of sand in a suitcase. They are tucked into the folds of life and discovered in the most unexpected places…
Lifting the lid off a cookie jar only to discover nothing more than crumbs is disappointing. We expect the good stuff that was there the day before to still be there. No one reaches into a cookie jar in hopes of coming out empty-handed. So, whose job is it to fill the cookie jar? Does…
“The world is round” are the words my husband is most known for saying. More than just a phrase; it’s a way of life for him, one that he has instilled in our family. His statement has nothing to do with the shape of the Earth and everything to do with being generous. He’ll gladly…
No matter how ugly life gets, a bounty of beauty is nearby. You need not look further than out a window. Better yet, step outside and be inspired by how seamlessly nature exists. When we pause and observe the beauty of our surroundings, we can witness unexpected joy. Reminders of the farse of perfection can…
Ensuring you have the right words when saying goodbye isn’t easy. When dropping my daughter off at college, this was the challenge I faced. There were so many things I wanted to impart to her. Being a writer and an empath makes me guilty of being too wordy. I knew my mushy tendencies would not…