Is someone in your life waiting and hoping for a well-deserved compliment that lets them know “I see you”?
Because of you I am standing tall. My heart is full of endless gratitude. You were the one to guide me through… the only question with me now is, “Do I make you proud?”
— Taylor Hicks
The season of giving is upon us and we – each and every one of us – have the wherewithal to give the most priceless gifts of all – honest and thoughtful compliments that show the special people in our lives “I see you”. Such gifts cost us but a bit of mental and social effort, a focused recognition of another person’s efforts and intentions… and a willingness to put ourselves “out there”.
And so I challenge us all (you and me) to step out of our own ego-centric bubbles this month, to look with new eyes, to listen with new ears, to perceive with new sensitivity… and to notice how we could gift our loved ones (and perhaps even some strangers who pop in and out of our lives) with priceless treasures only we can give… treasures that come from our Continue reading » Do I Make You Proud?
Have you ever found yourself just going through the motions?
Life is a nonstop parade of minutes, hours and days — a steady string of magical moments that we can choose to use as we see fit. And the manner in which we use or abuse these irreplaceable moments shapes the lives we get to enjoy.
— Unknown
If you’re a regular reader of this blog then you know that in my 2009 year-end post, Objects in the Rearview Mirror, I greeted the New Year with this declaration of independence:
I’m hoping that, like a Hoberman Sphere, I can expand my heart to embrace the adventure that lies before me… I’m puttin’ on my dancing shoes – so, 2010, cha cha cha!
And shortly thereafter, in an effort to supplement my not-so-daily walks, I joined a twice-a-week Zumba® exercise class. (Golly gee, do ya’ think there was some subconscious doings going on in there??) For those of you who haven’t been to a Zumba class, it’s dance-aerobics done to pulsating latin music. It’s fun, challenging and invigorating. Usually.
But the other day I was simply going through the motions in class, with little or no energy and certainly no joy. My action and energy reflected a lackluster attitude of mental and psychic fatigue; I was tired. I was distracted and discouraged. I was unwittingly succumbing to overwhelm. You’ve been there – to overwhelm – haven’t you? It’s when your life circumstances demand: More, more, more! And your brain (and body and soul) cry: Enough already!
Then I had a flash of great genius (Smirk): Continue reading » Make It Count
Skepticism is the beginning of faith.
— Oscar Wilde
When I was a kid in catechism class, I was taught that faith was a gift from God. You either got the gift or you didn’t. It was sort of like the taunt we all heard some version of when we were kids – “Where were you when the brains/good looks/talent/coordination were passed out?” If you were behind the door, you were out of luck.
If you were raised in a religious tradition, there was probably some point when you came face to face with doubt. For me, it was Philosophy 101 freshman year of college. It was in that class that I was exposed to Continue reading » Faith
 photo credit: psdIn this wintery month of February, what can you pause to celebrate?
Well, if you expected this to be another post about procrastination then you may be surprised to learn that, ironically, I’ve postponed it – I’d forgotten about Valentine’s Day and couldn’t let the holiday go by without this wee bit of a hurrah. More on procrastination is ready to roll, just not today, nor tomorrow either. Watch for it… and in the meantime, let’s celebrate February!
In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
— Albert Camus
February’s upon us… and this 2010 version of the second month roared in with the winter madness of an El Nino year – we’ve endured blizzards, rainstorms, floods and mudslides, just to name a few of the weather challenges so far. It’s been a cold, cold winter since the exuberance of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and New Years Day. Some (many?) among us are feeling the winter doldrums. While we wait for spring to be sprung, we need something to Continue reading » What’s to Celebrate? February, of Course!
 NED – “no evidence of disease” is what we expected to hear after the latest, now routine round of tests. Instead, we heard, “it appears there is disease here.” Esophageal cancer is hard to beat down but we thought my husband’s surgery and two chemotherapy regimens, completed a year ago, had beat it down. It had. For a short while. But it is back.
We weren’t expecting this news. And it knocked us for a loop. (Ya think??) We’re still in a state of shock, trying to make sense out of what appears to be a death sentence. But so it was, back in the Fall of 2007, and he managed to beat it down then. And even though last year’s chemo threw him in the hospital for eleven days, he’s signed-on for doing chemo again. That takes guts, let me tell you!
Continue reading » We Got the News…
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