freedom

If You’re Happy and You Know It…

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossoms.” ~ Marcel Proust ♦♦♦ Looking back at old photos, the discussion turned to the woman who had done so much for everyone there. She had been the one to show up with a hot meal, […]

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Time to Think

“silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation.” ― Rumi Standing at the podium in front of his adoring fans, the man began to speak as he had so many times before. The room grew still as he stood saying nothing. Once a great speaker, the man had suffered a stroke and now […]

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The Power of the Pen (or pencil)

When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love. ~ Marcus Aurelius *** Coming down early in the morning, I would usually find my mother sitting at the kitchen table writing in her calendar book. She had a separate place in which she […]

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Hashtag My Favorite Meds

“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” ~Seneca Palm open in the photo, the person showed several different pills, many different colors. It was the words beneath the photo that caught my attention. The individual wrote how much she didn’t want to take those pills, but how taking the pills allowed her to […]

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Teach Me, Shape Me

When I had my first voice lesson I was 15 years old. And I had a really good teacher. This is what made all the difference. A good teacher will teach you the technique, but also how to listen to your voice. ~Cecilia Bartoli Opening the brown paper bag when I left the school, I […]

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The Gift of Life

“Ye cannot live for yourselves; a thousand fibres connect you with your fellow-men, and along those fibres, as along sympathetic threads, run your actions as causes, and return to you as effects.” ~Henry Melvill Do you have your wish list ready? It’s the holiday season, and even people who aren’t religious often exchange gifts and […]

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What are your moments?

“We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten” ― Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand: Diaries, 1935-1950 Remember that time… It’s my favorite line from spending a few months with a good friend driving to small communities every day, and it’s a line I often use when I […]

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and we cry

“There are three things we cry for in life: things that are lost, things that are found, and things that are magnificent.”  ― Douglas Coupland The little boy fell, began to whimper, and then was caught by his father’s eye. There was so much said in that silent glance, and the little boy stood up and […]

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Embracing our Differences

“He who is different from me does not impoverish me – he enriches me. Our unity is constituted in something higher than ourselves – in Man… For no man seeks to hear his own echo, or to find his reflection in the glass.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The child stared at the man who looked so […]

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No More Shame

“The difference between shame and guilt is the difference between I am bad and I did something bad.” Brene´ Brown This is a story that could be a trigger if you have lost a child. It is about more than that, but I feel I must warn you that it could bring some tears. The story […]

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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…