It was the second week of school when the new girl arrived. Our class had just taken out the new social studies books when we heard people coming up the stairs. We went into slow motion, lifting up our desks in unison and choosing the second book from the top in the stack on the right side, and lowering the top ever so slowly so the sounds would not interfere with our eavesdropping. There was a lady talking and then a girl said something and we could only make out a word here and there. Then … [Read more...]
When People Lose Hope… and How to Help Them Find It Again
Hope begins deep in the heart and soul and mind and then flutters like a butterfly out the window and into the outside world. There, it can either motivate and inspire or fall on deaf ears. When people lose hope there will be unrest, at home and in the streets. So how can you make sure you always have hope in your heart and mind, for all occasions and in all instances? During 1733-34 English poet Alexander Pope, considered to be the foremost poet of the early eighteenth century penned a poem … [Read more...]
Four Rooms, Absent a View
It was the summer of 1977 and I had graduated from UCLA at the beginning of June. The world was my oyster, supposedly, though it didn't quite feel that way at the time. I was married with two young stepchildren and my future was up in the air. We had returned to south Florida the day after my graduation to be closer to his parents and sisters. Bob Green was a wonderful husband, devoted to taking care of me and the kids and providing what we wanted and needed with his work in construction. … [Read more...]
Spring Slides into Summer
It was innocent enough; I was checking out at the local market with a few things I needed for the special dinner I would prepare that evening. It was my daughter-in-law's birthday and it gave my family a reason to celebrate. Waiting until I was called forward, I placed my items on the conveyor belt and inched towards the register to pay. That's when I asked the checker how he was doing and he answered, "Well, I don't know..." His words hung in the air for what seemed like minutes before he … [Read more...]
Protected: Lead Magnets
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Three Cars on the Highway
The telescope had been a birthday present during the summer of 2005. We took it outside to set it up because it was much too large and powerful for inside use. Once on the sidewalk and with instructions in hand I realized I just wasn't smart enough to figure it all out and neither were any of my family members. I stroked the large main tube. My fingertips encircled the eyepiece. I leaned in so close to the finderscope my nose brushed its side. Over the years we invited friends and neighbors … [Read more...]
I Didn’t Want to Live Through a Pandemic
But Making the Decision to Live Through a Pandemic Was an Easy Choice for Me... The pandemic caught me by surprise. Perhaps each of us can say this, but then we all think our situation is unique. I do know one thing; I didn't want to live through a pandemic. It was never on my bucket list and I had never given it a second thought. But here it is and my goal is to not only survive but to also accomplish some meaningful activities during this time, however long it lasts. On January 25th, 2020 … [Read more...]
Gracefully Pivoting, Without Spraining Your Ankle
Someone, I don't remember who is was, mentioned that this is a time to "pivot" and now you hear and read about that word everywhere. What exactly does it mean to pivot, and can you do this gracefully and without spraining your ankle? Let's explore this as I share my recent life experiences as a case study. Spring slid into summer, even though the calendar said otherwise. The rules had all changed. The sticky hot days melted into humid evenings and swimming pools and beaches were still off … [Read more...]
Emotional Resilience During the Toughest of Times
My mother described me to others as being a "sensitive" girl as I was growing up. I allowed my feelings to be hurt (this is a re-frame of decades of believing it was others who were to blame for intentionally hurting my feelings) and as a result I was often unhappy or melancholy, or at least quite pensive. When I began to take full responsibility for everything that occurred in my life at age 50 I found that I had developed an emotional resilience to the degree that my life unfolded in a way … [Read more...]
It’s Just Who I Am, That’s All
I used to say that I didn't have the time or the money to volunteer or be a part of charitable causes. That was my excuse, and I honestly believed it until I found out it wasn't true. Even during the twenty years I worked as a classroom teacher in the inner city of Los Angeles, while simultaneously working in real estate part-time as a broker and residential appraiser, I could have volunteered once a month. I had time on some Saturday mornings for a few hours and could have donated $20 or so … [Read more...]