freedom

In the Event of an Emergency…

“I remembered my mother’s insistence that I always wear clean underwear because I might get knocked down by a car on the way to or from school and I and the family would be disgraced even beyond the grave, presumably, if my underwear was dirty.” ~James Arthur Baldwin The sound was alarming.  Sleep was abruptly […]

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Can War and Peace Exist Together?

“Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” ~Ronald Reagan “Mankind must put an end to war — or war will put an end to mankind. ” – John F. Kennedy Peacemaker is possibly in a dictionary somewhere with a picture of my face beside it and […]

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The Marriage of Work and Voice: A Beautiful Union

“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” ― Francis of Assisi Watching my mother paint colors onto a canvas, I see the face of my son […]

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Where Have We Gone?

“I bet if we ran into the sixth grade version of ourselves, they’d give us wet willies and put bubble gum in our hair for even thinking about doing this.” ~Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler, Mr. Deeds) The person we dreamed we would be when we were little kids often doesn’t match who we’ve become. Did you […]

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Growth Comes Through Openings and Closings

“Your hand opens and closes, opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralysed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds’ wings.” ― Rumi, The Essential Rumi The tulips were a treat because we had company […]

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Trust on the Trapeze

“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan There are two ways we encounter trust: we either believe others will do what they say or we don’t, and we are either the kind of people who do what we say or we aren’t.  Maybe we were […]

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Questions Without Answers

“He explained to me with great insistence that every question possessed a power that did not lie in the answer.” ~Eli Wiesel, Night Ask a child if they made their bed or cleaned their room, ask a politician if they agree or disagree, ask someone if your outfit makes you look fat or thin, or […]

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Passing the Baton Means Letting Go

“In relay racing, there comes a great disappointment when those who are supposed to receive the baton to get to the finishing line do not get it from those who are supposed to hand off the baton.” ― Ernest Agyemang Yeboah “The Millenials” (born from 1981-2000) are as talked about as any group today. Millenials must be […]

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Are You Committed?

“Success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape.” ~Andy Andrews Being an available wife, mother, daughter, friend Saving the monarchs and the bees Walking, feeding, loving our dog Writing at least one hand-written letter […]

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Whom Do You Remember?

137 years later, Memorial Day remains one of America’s most cherished patriotic observances. The spirit of this day has not changed – it remains a day to honor those who died defending our freedom and democracy. ~Doc Hastings It has now been 147 years since Decoration Day was first celebrated.  I wish I had been […]

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Thoughts to Encourage

Joy is the will which labors, which overcomes obstacles, which knows triumph.~ William Butler Yeats

Whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right. - Henry Ford

The best way out is always through. ~ Robert Frost

Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. ~ Theodore N. Vail

Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall. ~ Oliver Goldsmith

You must be the change you want to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi

Nothing helps like a good nap…

Birds are Beautiful

A Dog is Faithful…