I struggle to listen. I have spent years reading, teaching, and practicing active listening, but I still struggle. Some friends would claim I am a good listener, but I know my inner struggle to attend and listen. This struggle showed up powerfully on a recent visit to my 91-year-old mother. My mom, Maxine, is declining. She no longer can link my name to her memory, but when I walk in the room with my husband,…
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Are you already starting to breathe heavily and sigh at the approach of Christmas decorations invading store aisles? Has the looming pronouncements of supply chain shortages have you worried about getting your Christmas gift shopping done without delay? Personally, my own resistance to getting sucked into the rush and overwhelm is to honor Advent. Practice a pause to honor the season of making room in my heart for Christmas without adding any more pressure to…
Leave a CommentA tradition has caught on in my family. The vacation awards. Here is how the vacation awards program works. We announce that there will be an awards ceremony held on the final night of the vacation. No one knows who is giving or receiving the awards. The challenge is to keep a lookout for award-worthy recognition. The cardinal rule for the final awards is that they must be kind. This little tradition does one major…
2 CommentsThis past summer, I received a thoughtful card and photos from Hawaii. As soon as I saw the return address, I knew the sender, but I had never met the sender. It was the return address, CECOSC, that helped me recognize the card contained a remembrance. I was part of that same group when Gary and I lived in Hawaii over twenty-five years ago. CECOSC stands for Civil Engineer Corps Officer’s Spouse Club. People I…
1 CommentIt was a lovely summer day. Grandkids were enjoying the pool. The two-year-old grandgirl was intensely absorbed in playing with her school bus and play figures on our screened front porch while her mother and I stood nearby engrossed in conversation. Our talk was disrupted by our little girl saying in a clear voice, “frog.” Immediately, we looked at each other and chuckled, “How cute.” We knew the baby was saying the word frog because…
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