character
Taking an Inventory
“Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it.” ― Marcus Aurelius, The Emperor’s Handbook “Why, Mr. Magruder? Why do we have to count all the towels?” Every January, just before the white sale […]
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Just Like That…
Speechless. Just like that. Life ended. It had barely begun. A 13 year-old girl, sleeping in her grandmother’s house, with a single bullet through her head. Her sleep would turn from gentle slumbers to a nightmare. Did her spirit leave her body, leave her feeling no pain? The yard outside riddled with shell casings, my […]
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Finding Freedom in Your Choices
“Alice came to a fork in the road. ‘Which road do I take?’ she asked. ‘Where do you want to go?’ responded the Cheshire Cat. ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered. Then,’ said the Cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland Choosing roads has not come without pain for me. When I was […]
Read MoreSharing it All
“When we fully understand the brevity of life, its fleeting joys and unavoidable pains … the consciousness of it should make us more kindly and considerate of each other. ” ~Clarence Darrow Recently, as I was going through the news feed on one of my social media pages, I came across a Facebook friend who is […]
Read MoreFinding Freedom
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.” ― Thích Nhất Hạnh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation Two women sat watching their sons […]
Read MorePresents or Presence, Every Day
“I wear the chain I forged in life….I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.” ― Jacob Marley’s ghost; Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Heading out of the house, an update from someone […]
Read MoreThe Most Powerful Tool is the Tongue
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and help them to become what they are capable of being.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet and composer “You’re crazy!” The words stung and seeped into my mind more quickly than a sponge can soak up a glass of water. […]
Read MoreYou’re Grace?
“Grace is the beauty of form under the influence of freedom.” ~Frederich Schiller “You’re Grace?” The question was not so strange. My business name contains “Grace,” and the column which holds my blog is ‘Amazed by Grace’. If either of my sons had turned out to be a daughter, her name would have been Elizabeth […]
Read MoreBreaking Free from The Rumor Mill
“The report of my death is greatly exaggerated.” Mark Twain Twain’s infamous quote came in a letter he wrote in May 1897. His cousin had been gravely ill. People must have confused the two men, and rumors began that Twain was dying and then was dead. Rumors are untruths, or sometimes partial truths, that are […]
Read MoreGot Conflict? Bring it on!
“All of your anxiety is because of your desire for harmony. Seek disharmony and you will gain peace”. Rumi Waiting at the Lion’s Club, I would stand with my mother as the line wound around until it was her turn to vote. I remember the curtain that hid us from the rest of the voters […]
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Thoughts to Encourage
Nothing helps like a good nap…
Birds are Beautiful
A Dog is Faithful…
