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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Don’t Count Me Out
Sometimes there are people ready to count you out, when you simply don’t agree. You know you still have something to offer. You know people are underestimating you. Just because they are ready to pull the plug on you and your possibilities doesn’t mean that you should be. That’s when you need to hang in…
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.…
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…
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…
Sunsets and Hummingbirds
We bought a hummingbird feeder recently and hung it directly outside the living room window. It took no time for the “locals” to discover this new resource. Every morning while we had coffee, I would watch one or two of these tiny birds arrived at the feeder, anxious for breakfast. Their long beaks would drink…
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,…
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…
Forgive Me Father
Perhaps it was the Irish in her, but Mom was a devout Catholic and she was intent on making sure that we all honored the lord and his teachings. We never ate meat on Friday, we said the rosary during lent and we all went to Catholic school where the nuns reinforced God’s word. Catholic…
The Storyteller’s Story
When I was a kid my dad would occasionally tell us stories about a young boy who owned a magic bottle of bubbles. The bubbles transported him around the world, rescued stray dogs and pretty much handled any difficult situation. What was surprising about the stories wasn’t really the magic of the bubble but that…
A Little Indulgence
We were a very frugal family when I was a kid. Perhaps it was because my parents grew up during the depression. Or perhaps because five children and one income necessitated a bit of frugality. Whatever the reason, in our household indulgence was not encouraged. It was pretty much understood that you took limited portions…
Its Worth Repeating 