During my son’s late baseball practice, I looked up at the lights, delighted to see bats busily hunting that night’s dinner. Bats lack the grace of birds in flight, their wings swatting at the air rather than smoothly beating in steady strokes, making their round, hairy bodies wobble. Flight for a mammal must be challenging,…
Category: personal growth
The Bully In My Brain
This week I fell victim to the cold that claimed my son last week. While it did not keep me from regular obligations, it did steal my focus for writing. I offer you this in absence of something from this week. It’s a reflection I wrote a couple of weeks ago. Several friends are struggling…
Turning Toward the Sun, Firmly Rooted
A friend received more flowers and plants than she could count upon her husband’s death. Both of them have earned the love of many, and people wanted to show their respect during the week of his funeral. Roses, mums, mixed bouquets, and baskets overflowing with potted plants littered the double parlor, so much so that…
Daffodils and Invisible Growth
“Why do you love daffodils so much?” My kids and I find car rides provide the best opportunity to speak of matters both trivial and profound. My middle child comes up with great challenges like: What animal do you think I would be if I weren’t a human? What color would you be…other than purple?…
Not Liking the Same Things
Something strange occurred early on in one of my adult friendships, resulting in a considerable shift in my perspective and understanding of relationships. I learned that you do not have to like the same things as those closest to you. That may sound obvious, but hearing it for the first time lifted a veil from…
Fighting Potential
I hate the word “potential.” Teachers, adults, mentors, and peers have told me, “You have such potential!” for as long as I can remember. As a child, I proudly wore it as if it were another gold metallic sticker the teachers pasted to our chests on days when we were “really good.” Exceptional. That’s another…
Changing a Family Language
The other day, I called the insurance company, which one never does due to delightful reasons. The customer service representative on the phone gave me all of her patience and went to great lengths to help me. I felt my anger and frustration rising disproportionately. Sure, I placed the call because I had issues with…
I Know Who You Are
She sees the woman slowly make her way towards her. As one of the organizers of the event, my friend stands as a makeshift receiving line forms in front of her. People comment on how well she did helping to plan the evening or mention their desire to become more active in the organization. One…
Fire Fast
This week, a reel appeared on my For You Page (FYP) on Instagram. In it, Gary Vynerchuk answered an audience member’s question about how to know if the person you’re hiring is actually good versus how they appear on an application. His response: “I’ve got really good hiring advice: learn to fire fast.” Vynerchyck explains…
Better Than Happiness
This morning I needed to tackle dirty dishes and cluttered kitchen countertops. After an overindulgence in Christmas music, I chose to return to a favorite podcast instead to fill the silence. In less busy times, I love making podcasts the soundtrack to my work, as long as that work does not demand much mental capacity…
Prayerful Kitchen 