Author: Kathy Humenik
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The Road Home

Driving trips were a family favorite when our kids were little. We would spend spring evenings with a road atlas and assorted travel guides planning our summer adventure. By the time the kids were six or seven, they were avid participants and would peruse the maps looking for interesting stops to include in our chosen…
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Let’s Hear It for Good Enough

Typically calling something ‘good enough’ is not a compliment. In fact, it has many negative connotations. The unspoken message might be that you cut corners, your heart wasn’t in it, or you could have done better. As a person who is often comfortable with ‘good enough’ I beg to differ. Frankly, the expression has been…
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Even Roadrunners Need a Rest

Many of us are familiar with roadrunners, thanks to Looney Tune Cartoons. Saturday mornings were made complete by a bowl of cheerios while watching the roadrunner outwit Wile E. Coyote time and again. That roadrunner was smart, and he was fast. In fact, roadrunners are one of the fastest running birds around. They can speed…
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I’d Like a ‘Do-Over’

I suppose it is natural to build relationships with people in the context of what that relationship is. If someone is your sibling, your child or your spouse there are unspoken expectations about what that means. We assume certain things from a brother or sister which is different than what we anticipate from our parents…
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Free Delivery Included

The other day on the drive home I noticed an ad for consigned Rolex watches posted on a utility pole. I’d never given much thought to Rolex watches but for some reason the add caught my attention. Who advertises high-end watches on a utility pole after all? Once home, I had nothing much to do…
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Stand Back

We have a small cabin in the mountains and on occasion we are visited by some of the local critters. Today, while enjoying our morning coffee, my husband spotted something moving across the field. A look through the binoculars determined that it was a large skunk with a fluffy tail and a notable white stripe.…
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Do What’s Right

‘Do what’s right’–seems simple enough, doesn’t it? But life teaches us otherwise. Doing ‘what’s right’ doesn’t always come naturally. In fact, seeing someone do what’s right can often take us by surprise. To quote Mark Twain, “Do what’s right, it will gratify some and astound the rest.” Why does it seem so difficult and often…
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The Power of Purpose

We know that purpose is a powerful thing. In fact there are many books written on the importance of purpose in our lives. But I think sometimes we forget that purpose doesn’t have to be a life-altering, world-shaking undertaking to matter. Purpose can be simple and still be meaningful. Consider the rowboat. It sits at…
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KaBoom

Every year, for the 4th of July, Dad would take us to the best fireworks stand in the area. My brothers and I always looked forward to the excitement that came from buying things that sparkled and glowed or made terrifying noises for no useful purpose. In the sixties the selection of fireworks was huge,…
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Lessons from a Dirty Kitchen

Like most kids growing up in the sixties, my brothers and I had regular chores we were expected to complete. One of those chores was to do the dinner dishes. After we finished eating, mom and dad would move to the living room with their coffee. My brothers and I would be left to clean…