Both/And…keeping it real

We can do hard things. Acknowledging both the good and hard in everyday life.

  • Angst, agony, excitement and hope…

    Angst, agony, excitement and hope…

    You can feel the energy building in your body, your head spinning….realize you must find a way to manage it…. Lace us your shoes; you leave your Air Pods home and now listen to each footfall, hoping you will find the answer to the question that is rattling your insides, even though the question itself…

  • Being With….

    (For JKB, EGM and all who need a reminder) Perhaps I have mentioned it before, perhaps not. I am a huge, and I do mean, HUGE, Olympic addict. I credit my parents, with whom I watched the Olympics faithfully as a kid and have continued in my own family. As I was glued to every…

  • What Disney has taught me about traumatic loss…

    (Disney Part 2.) I have long considered the things I learn from Disney. Some things fun, others silly, still others poignant, which is I think is the biggest draw for most people who return again and again. I know myself well enough to to know as well, that I can find meaning in almost everything,…

  • What we can learn from Ariel, Ursula, shipwrecks, grief and Jesus.

    (Part 1 – Disney series) Can I start very candidly? I hardly know where to start when I think about writing about Disney, Disney movies and how these come together in my day to day…and yet, that’s probably because for me, it all blends together – my interests, my work, family and Jesus (rarely in…

  • Leaving: saturation, great gratitude and wonder…

    Washington DC/Pennsylvania (Part 7) “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” AA Milne, as heard from Winnie the Pooh. Have you ever been to a place that seeps into your being, because of both the place and the people and the experience with them? THAT was Washington for all of…

  • “You have solid steel I-Beams, Stace.”

    “Mom, they are going to demolish that building soon.” My son told me as we drove through town. “Yeah?” We were talking about the former municipal power plant building, much of which was already demolished. “Yes, they are getting the explosives set on the beams. The I-beams are the only thing left.” My brain raced…

  • Sometimes, it is good to howl….

    (Oh my heart…be brave my soul.) “I can feel something welling up, deep in the pit of my stomach, a clenching I don’t have a name for. I have spent too many days, NOT caring for myself, AGAIN. Between family needs, schedules and even the joy, I have yet again, put my own needs on…

  • The smell of coffee, Gram’s Oil of Olay and Tiffany Rose Gold: oh the memories I have…

    I walked in the door and couldn’t help but inhale deeply. The rich, deep, comforting smell of coffee both assaults and eases into every part of my olfactory system. The funny thing is? I don’t even like DRINKING coffee. But my body, heart and mind are instantly comforted with the smell… Growing up, the coffee…