As March rolls onto my calendar, I question how it arrived at jet speed. For most of my life, I’ve heard March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I don’t know if that’s true, but the word March gives me hope that spring is nearing. Visions of tulips dance in my head. No matter the season, other visions dance in other heads. I have seven grandchildren, who range … [Read more...]
Musings of life, love, and laughter
An essential aspect of mental health is the ability to focus on the present or to look toward the future—not to get stuck in the past. Recently, though, I was at events (a funeral, alumni, and a visit to my former home) and was inundated with memories of people and long-ago times. It was refreshing and thought-provoking, and the pictures running laps in my mind have been very … [Read more...]
Smirk, smile, and belly laugh
Yesterday was my daughter’s and my birthday. As long as I can add and subtract, I will know how old I am because she was born the day I turned twenty-five. She was the best birthday present ever. As I add another year to my age, it is far too easy to look back and think what the heck—more than a half-century has passed since my mother, who had five girls, walked into the … [Read more...]
Maybe I need to rock a while
Getting old is like a gorgeous faceted diamond with inclusions and blemishes. Every morning is like a coin flip—I can win the bright, sparkling side or the side with a bit of damage. Either way, I can open my eyes, put my feet on the ground, look in the mirror and say, “Today is going to be a great day because I said it would.” I thought I’d figured out getting older by … [Read more...]
Decorate Valentine’s Day with happy memories
Here we are, approaching another Valentine’s Day. Am I wrong, or did we just get Christmas decorations stashed out of sight? At least both holidays favor the color red, just in case we missed the cinnamon-scented candle on the counter. The retail business doesn’t give us the option of forgetting; it reminds us to prepare. February 14th is bittersweet for me and many … [Read more...]
Sisterly Love…
January 22, 2016 My second sister Zella told me this story when she was seventy-five. She is a real story teller. This story started with, “What I loved most….” She started talking and then she stopped. She was finished. She sat quietly looking into the distance, and then she laughed. “What I loved most was truthfulness, which was hard to learn. I have trouble telling the … [Read more...]
Have you written YOUR life story?
You can think your life is boring or insignificant, but it is YOUR story in the making. Nothing happens that does not contribute to the story line, setting, and plot. Like any good novel, there are ebbs and flows, but always connections to history, past and present characters, and dreams. Fred Allen, American radio comedian, said, "A human being is nothing but a story with a … [Read more...]
Rural Women are Connected
Nancy, Peggy, and Rose... I had the honor in one day to visit with three rural women who were as diverse as they were similar. I personally knew all three and each was genuine, pleasant, and glad to see me. I was thrilled to see them. I wish I could have spent more time with each person. I had not seen one of the women in twenty years. Nancy had brain surgery and her memory, … [Read more...]
Connect with grandchild by vacationing together
Connect with grandchild by vacationing together I just returned from San Francisco with my thirteen year old granddaughter. We were gone a full week and had a blast. We toured, biked, shopped, walked, and ate until we were exhausted; a good tired. It was just the two of us; just Grandma Jenn and one thirteen year old granddaughter. We were together 24/7; quite a … [Read more...]
Happy Mother’s Day Mother – and Thank YOU!
Happy Mother’s Day Mother – and Thank YOU! My remarkable mother died in 2007 at the age of 86, right before Christmas. I miss her. I wish I could again thank her and tell her I love her. I would especially like to give her a hug. Without her parenting and influence I would be a totally different person today. Her name was Millie, short for Mildred, and she was beautiful, … [Read more...]
Stress is the culprit
Stress is the culprit Every person is born with the ability to be intimate and to make changes. If true, why does every person not make needed changes and experience rich intimacy? If it is possible, why not just do it? What holds us back from having rich, intimate relationships with people we really care about? The answer is stress. No matter our age, stressful … [Read more...]
What do you want in your eulogy?
What do you want in your eulogy? We know for sure that we all will die. We don’t get to choose how or when, but one guarantee is that we will. I want you to think about how you want to be remembered after you die. When your eulogy is being read, what do you want it to say? There are hundreds of ways one could be remembered: famous actor; gentle grandparent; best farmer; … [Read more...]