Personal Safety (part 1)
Even though my husband worked shifts and was gone overnight many nights throughout our almost-25-year marriage, I was never actually worried or fearful of my or the children's safety. We lived in average, middle-class neighborhoods where, I know, crime can and does...
The Best Laid Plans
The English teacher in me must first explain that the familiar phrase "the best laid plans" is actually a misquote of Burns' poem "To a Mouse"; the line actually reads "the best laid schemes". I probably shouldn't perpetuate the misquote, but "plans" works better...
An Anniversary after All
Anniversary: a date that is remembered or celebrated because a special or notable event occurred on that date in a previous yearEven though the Merriam-Webste online dictionary doesn't specify that the "special or notable event" must be a positive one, when I hear...
Ahhhh . . . Sweet Affirmations
Before I go any further, I'm going to break one of the rules of blogging as handed down by a couple of blogging gurus whose blogging material I've read. According to the experts, a blogger should never apologize for not posting for a few days or even longer;...
Guilt
Guilt. Is there anyone alive who hasn't felt their stomach churn and their face burn with it? Of course, sometimes guilt is well-deserved. Bringing work issues home and then snarling at a loving spouse, yelling at the kids, and kicking the puppy should make a...
With Apologies to Tolstoy
What is it Tolstoy said about unhappy families? "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Perhaps Tolstoy is right -- I don't know. But the exact opposite is true about the books -- both fiction and nonfiction -- I've read in...
Finding My Voice
Last week, I received an email from a dear friend; in it, she responded to my earlier emailed request to please give me feedback as she reads my posts. With her permission, I'll share the 2 points she raised.First, she noted that I may be limiting my scope and,...
Getting the Job Done — Judy’s Story
This evening I'm going to share part of someone else's story, with her permission. First, though, a bit of backstory. Judy was a friend/older sister to me from when I was about 11 years old until I started college. I admired her zest for life, her spunkiness, her...
Stepping off the Board
My hometown in Southeast Missouri had a large community swimming pool when I was growing up, and each summer until my mom was convinced we could swim proficiently, my sister and I took swimming lessons. At the end of the short "leg" of the L-shaped pool there were...
You’ve Survived the Firsts, so now Everything Must be Fine . . . Right?
The "firsts". If you've attended a wake or a funeral or have read even one article or book on loss (as the result of the death of a loved one, divorce, etc.) and grieving, you've surely heard or seen some reference to the "firsts". Common knowledge tells us that...