Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. Let me hear a whoop-whoop from the peanut gallery. Ah, Mother’s Day! A day of great expectations and high aspirations. Look it. Here’s my unbiased advice for surviving the day. Let’s just all take a b-iiii-gggg breath. And then, let us exhale in unison. Now. Let us release all those fuzzy, …
It’s been a long day. Preceded by an even longer night. In which I woke, startled by my dream. A telling dream- of projected fears and failures and worries about things to come. And now, here I am again. Ready to head into another night. And then, another day. And on and on. Sadly, there …
Hey! Welcome all!!! Glad you are here…at this time and at this place. With me. Sharing my writing and this space called Pursuit of a Joyful Life! I am humbled by your presence. A few words about my writing, my blog and the name of this group. I named my blog “Pursuit of a Joyful …
I am suppose to write a blog piece for the Huffington Post about motherhood (for their special upcoming Mother’s Day issue in another week). And I have no idea what to write. I am a loss. There are no pearls of wisdom, no gems of gold from which others can glean sage advice. No nothing. …
We six walk through the mist, feel wetness on our faces. I shiver in the night air, anticipating the heat of our van. The time and temperature has shifted from sun-kissed evening warmth to damp and foggy dusk . Nearing the last lap, we come into a clearing. And it is then I hear her …
Last night was kind of the crowning glory for me. A moment in time when I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. And to be sure. I have had my fair share of awkward moments. Moments when my truly funny life has imitated fiction. Watch me in action for about five …
When tragedy strikes and disaster hits. And when calamity occurs and life is lost. When that life is a child’s life- a precious son or daughter’s life. A mother’s life, a wife’s life, a sister’s life. Or worse: when that loss is a family’s life, it is so pervasive and deadly in its scope. So …
There are days when frost covers barren ground. Like a heavy cloak. When tiny buds on frozen tree limbs shimmer with an icy glaze. When tiny shoots of new life, thwarted in process of emerging forth. Are interrupted. Dark, heavy clouds hang low and ready. There are these kinds of days. When table talk is …
There are times when I scrutinize the reflection I see in the mirror. And I don’t like what I see the majority of the time. Is that surprising, really? We are our own worst critics, and when we look in the mirror, what are we usually looking for? Flaws. Imperfections. Areas needing improvement. The other …
So, here’s where the rubber meets the road. Yesterday, I wrote about seeing the best in people. And I love doing that in my role as teacher, friend, colleague, volunteer. But probably the hardest place for me to practice seeing the best in people is when it comes to family. Because let’s face it, family …
A few years back, when I was teaching high school instead of five-year olds, I use to know a thing or two about teenagers. For instance, I knew that you can’t try too hard to be liked by them. It helps to be funny. And don’t take yourself too seriously, or you’ll be the laughing …
We sit across from one another in a cramped booth. She talks, I lean in. There is urgency in casual lunch meetings of this nature. And we both know that all too soon, time will snatch away these precious moments. And the body language says it all. Urgent!! This is important!! Don’t interrupt. That is, …