personal growth

You’re More than Just anything

Written May 2020 “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” – Marie Curie When the call came for ‘the man of the […]

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Mother Nature and the Family

Written May 2020 “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.” —Jane Goodall Watching Wellington waddle and hop along, I find myself smiling as baby Annik looks […]

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Two goats resting on the front porch of what appears to be an abandoned home, with the words showing: “Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.” ― James Baldwin

When Home Isn’t Safe

“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.”― James Baldwin Seeing the photo of the young girl, I found myself asking questions to no one in particular, as I often do, including, “Why did she run?” Several years ago, I had seen the photo of a young boy and had asked myself the […]

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Enlightened

“Tears are words that need to be written.” ― Paulo Coelho ♦♦♦ The sadness took me by surprise. I’m normally such a happy person. Where did these feelings come from? I mentioned my sadness to some friends and immediately wished I had not — I had just exposed such a hidden part of myself. But in […]

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Knowing Your Black History

This was published in the paper early in February. I hope you will take time on this last day of the month to remember that Black History  is our history, and it should matter to each of us every day of the year. “Privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.”― Martin Luther King Jr. ♦♦♦ […]

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People Who Need People

“But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince He couldn’t wait to move out of that house. He couldn’t wait to be on his own. […]

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What We Choose to Believe

“A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.” ― Oscar Wilde “You know, comments like that are a big red flag to people in that community.” What? I would never mean it to be a negative, or to make someone think I’m not who I present myself to be. What do you […]

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Telling Our Stories, 2021 version

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Maya Angelou “Everyone has a story,” I remarked to my friend as she was blessing my heart over learning things about me she didn’t know. “We both know that,” she responded. We don’t have to know much to know that there is no […]

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Kindness is as Kindness Does

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” ― Mark Twain ♦♦♦ You push and I’ll pull. It was a lot of work, but we moved the large desk up the stairs and over the threshold. I rarely will ask for help, especially when moving furniture, but twice I have […]

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Today’s Date is…

“Even if I wanted to go my SCHEDULE Wouldn’t allow it! One o’clock, Wallow in self pity Four thirty, Stare into the abyss Five o’clock, Solve world hunger; Tell no one Five thirty, Jazzercise Six thirty, dinner with me. I can’t cancel that again! Seven o’clock, wrestle with my self-loathing… I’m booked!” ~The Grinch Even […]

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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…