I’m starting to think that February is a month that brings with it a certain amount of unavoidable stress. There are a couple of contributing factors. First, we’re all sick of winter. Next, though February isn’t particularly busy, the spring ushers in a time of busy-ness for just about all of us. So we […]
Life Lessons
My cup overflows
For most of my life I’ve considered myself a “cup’s 1/2 full” sort of person. That’s because I’ve long believed (and told anyone that cared to listen) that optimism IS realism. The world is just too darn fabulous to allow for any other correlation. But I’m not a “cup’s 1/2 full” sort of person anymore. […]
You might say…
You might say… “I have nothing to say.” Or, “I have something to say but I’m unwilling to say it.” Or, “I have something to say but I don’t know how.” Or, “I’m not sure how it will sound.” Or, “It won’t make any sense.” Or, “If I say it, someone might think less, more, or […]
When things change
When someone we know experiences a difficult or unwanted life change many of us find ourselves not knowing what to say or how to be around that person. It could be a co-worker, friend, fellow parent, or even a family member. Are we allowed to say, “How are you?” Or, “What’s new?” Is it tacky […]
The source of trouble
Thank you to Brain Pickings for posting excerpts from Saul Bellows’ 1976 Prize Acceptance Speech. Here’s a quote that resonates: To find the source of trouble we must look into our own heads. Reading and reflecting on it now, it feels obvious to me. For the most part trouble is something we get ourselves into and out […]
An Act of Kindness
It was probably 20 years ago that I first heard the cliche, “An act of kindness is a good investment.” Even then, the concept didn’t resonate. I thought, and still think, an act of kindness is an act of kindness. It’s merit isn’t some potential future return, but the act itself. There can never be […]