Have you "had it up to here" with all things connected with the Covid 19 pandemic? Most of us would shout, "Yes!" Collectively and individually, we need a lift. Something like a catchy song that gets us all singing along and tapping our feet to its rhythm would help. That's what Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer gave our Nation in 1944. Exhausted Americans were scraping bottom. World War II had dragged on since the December 7, 1941, surprise bombing raid... Continue reading

We're grieving the loss of what we believed America is all about. That a mob would batter their way into our U.S. Capitol building makes us heartsick. "This is America!" we want to scream. "That does not happen here! Except it did. On January 6, 2021. Many of the folks in that mob no doubt considered themselves "good people," who were upholding truth, justice and what is right. Reportedly, many were Christians. Yet everyone with even a smidgen of Bible... Continue reading

A lot of us are thinking Christmas won't be the same this year. Some of us are feeling our necks and shoulders tightening as each day goes on. Why not take a break you'll remember? Sit for a moment and catch the sheer joy of these children--and adults--as you watch and listen to this YouTube of some years ago. First, a bit of background Their story began when James Barthelman and his wife moved from Nebraska to the tiny village... Continue reading

Some of us think we have no influence in the world because we've never held an important job, never been celebrated in any way. Let go of that lie! T ake my friend Alice, for example. This tiny, smiling woman--barely 5 feet tall--saw herself as "nothing special." Yet when Alice died six employees from her local Post Office attended--in uniform. One stood up to tell how much they would miss their friend. "Usually we get complaints about this and that.... Continue reading

Some people think profound thoughts must be spoken in lofty words Not true. The late Karl Barth, a Swiss theologian, was regarded as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century and attracted crowds wherever he went. On one of his frequent visits to the United States he scheduled an appearance at the University of Chicago. During the press conference held to welcome him, one questioner asked, "Dr. Barth, what is the most profound truth you learned in all... Continue reading

Reality has a way of blasting away our self-delusions, doesn't it? It usually happens just as I'm patting myself on the back for maintaining a cheerful outlook on life. Bingo! Something goes wrong. Maybe I drop a glass and have to clean up the mess. Or I accidentally delete a piece of writing I'd been working on. More often, it's my balky computer acting up again. Small things, really. Just the drip, drip, drip of daily life. Some days such... Continue reading

It's hard not to feel the heaviness, isn't it? For months we've chafed under quarantine restrictions this Covid-19 pandemic pushed upon us. We live by new rules, trying to protect against exposure to this frightening, ever-changing virus. We long for someone who can lay out what will come next, but it seems no one can. Not even the multitude of Experts. Once we thought that was a lot to deal with Now many U.S. cities have become war zones. We've... Continue reading

How are you doing with all the restrictions of this Covid-19 quarantine? For many of us, peace and patience are wearing thin. We feel overwhelmed. For all of us, fear laces through every day and wakes us in the night. Some of us are good in a crisis, but a crisis has a beginning and an end. This Covid-19 quarantine situation may stretch on for months, but nobody knows for sure. And that makes it worse. How do we stay... Continue reading

Are we a nation of wimps or what? It's as if we assumed our technology and enlightened thinking guaranteed our society wouldn't have--shouldn't have--big challenges that dodge easy solution. That's understandable, I suppose, since for quite some time now, we've been strutting around feeling proud of all we have achieved. On our own. This Corona virus, also known as Covid-19, has knocked us off our perch and brought us down to reality with a deafening thud. Here's the shocker: As... Continue reading

That's a challenge when warnings shout at us from all sides: WATCH OUT! DISASTER IS COMING YOUR WAY! It seems all anyone can talk about is the coronaviris. That nasty bug dominates every conversation and every newscast. Many of us are running scared and all of us feel a bit unsettled. We're living out that cliche, "waiting for the other shoe to drop," because no one knows what comes next. Perhaps what troubles you and wakes you with a racing... Continue reading

The day started off to be a good day. Sunshine. Warm temps. Blooming trees. As I drove to my doctor's office a bit of anxiety caught in my throat, so my prayer held extra intensity. Lord, my times are in your hands. Please watch over me and our family. Keep me calm whatever he says and keep me safe, I pray. Good lab test results sent me floating out of the office, my mind shouting Thank you, Lord! Next I... Continue reading

I can picture you reading that title and asking, "Who, me?" Yes, you. And me. And everybody else. Think about it. Our long-ago friend, "Jim" had no degree, but he was a specialist in understanding people. I still hear him saying one of his favorite gems that summed up what makes us humans tick: "Nobody does nothin' for nothin'.'" That's a folksy way of saying every one of us gets some kind of payback from what we do. Or don't... Continue reading

Valentine's Day is big, but what comes after February 14th? Now, that's the real issue, isn't it? Over the years I've teased out the differences between what I thought as a young romantic and what I know now. Dreams vs. reality *The darling man I would marry would wow me with beautiful gestures of love. The darling man I did marry wowed me by quietly living out love. *Beforehand, I assumed marriage to the man I truly loved would be... Continue reading

Have you ever stood at the beach just after dawn and been mesmerized by what seems an endless expanse of sand? Ever been the first one to leave footprints? That's a perfect picture of each day you and I live. The hours stretch before us... Unsullied. Untouched. Ours to explore and enjoy. Ours to revel in and rejoice in and give thanks for. Here's a simple way to get your day off to a better start. Right away, as soon... Continue reading

Here we are, with 2020 bearing down on us. The end of another decade. What will we do with it? I've loved Christmas since I was a little girl singing and "saying my piece" for the Christmas program. I love the wreaths and the lights and all the happy frenzy. Touching hearts and connecting. Remembering. Missing loved ones no longer with us. One minute it's laughter and hugs, the next it's tears. In this season all our emotions are right... Continue reading

If you won the lottery tomorrow, would you be rich? It all depends. The closest I've come to real wealth came years ago at a garage sale. Yes, a garage sale. A very unusual garage sale. The sale date was included in a feature article about the late "Letitia Brimley." The famously reclusive heiress had lived in a city not far from us and now her estate was to be liquidated. She lived alone for years and died with no... Continue reading

What could we learn from a frog? Perhaps more than you think. Awhile back I ran across this modern fable. Where it came from I don't know, but there's a worthwhile message here for all of us. Once upon a time a bunch of frogs arranged a competition. Which one could possibly make it to the top of the highest tower in the land? A big crowd gathered to watch the race and cheer on the brave contestants. (Everyone with... Continue reading

Would people around you describe you as "happy" or "moody"? Are you an ACTor or a REACTor? That is, do you set the tone for your life or do you react to the situation? If that's confusing, listen to what a friend said about his late father. "I still miss him and his everlasting smile. Dad would drag home from the bus stop until he spotted us kids watching. Then he'd straighten up and wave and almost run toward home,... Continue reading

After combing through data from a 20-year study of more than 4,700 people, researchers at Harvard University concluded that happiness is contagious. Some of us already figured that out on our own. Ask any husband or wife or child in any family, and we've all lived it out. When Mom or Dad gets up in a bad mood, before long the whole family "catches" it--and vice versa. When one parent has a bad day at work and comes home in... Continue reading

For a change of pace, here's a thought-provoking legend that comes from native American legend. If you're like me, it will keep you thinking. The Changeling Eagle A Native American brave found an eagle's egg and put it into the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched with the brood of prairie chicks and grew up with them. All his life, the changeling eagle--thinking he was a prairie chicken--did what prairie chickens did. He scratched in the dirt for... Continue reading

Have you thought life felt safer when you were growing up? Most of us have. Why wouldn't we? Every day we see a steady parade of dangers and crises that march past us in our headlines and on our various screens. Over and over. It's easy to get caught up in the bad news and feel apprehensive about our life and where we live and fear for the people we love. Or it may be a long run of problems... Continue reading

It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. --Epictetus, 55 A.D.-135 A.D. It took me way too long to grasp the one-size-fits-all wisdom of that short sentence. Years, in fact. Who knows how or when I bought into the lie that "other things" determined the quality of my days and what kind of life I had, almost as if I were a twig floating on an unpredictable stream. Did I know I thought that?... Continue reading

Perhaps the most shocking thing about another school shooting is that we're not so shocked any more. This is the world we live in. Try to make sense of. Weep over. Pray for. Over and over people in the media and Experts of all kinds tell us that whoever the current perpetrator happens to be is "disturbed." Why? Blame it on any of these: "Has a record of being in trouble." "Came from a dysfunctional home." "Grew up without a... Continue reading