Category: Relationship
What Good Are Fences Anyway?
When we moved to our mountain farm in Tennessee, a multitude of fences zigzagged across our property. Most of the posts and rails were still sturdy but a good number were shaky, at best, or simply falling down. My husband and I questioned why some of the fencing was even…
Comments Off on Like a Rose in Winter
Like a Rose in Winter
Like a rose in winter caught by frost too soon, Is a beautiful mind fading far ahead of its doom. Petals float through our fingers as we try to stop their fall, But our efforts prove futile, your fragile memories lost to us all. Mother, dear Mother, where did you…
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The Gift of Guiding Hands
It takes a whole village to raise a child. This African proverb reflects an age-old concept we often take for granted. Certainly, other caregivers besides parents are needed to nurture a baby into adulthood. Hilary Clinton made this saying popular in the mid 1990’s in her book of the same…
Comments Off on Intertwined In Solidarity: Faith, Family & Friends
Intertwined In Solidarity: Faith, Family & Friends
A little over a year ago, my sister went into hospice care and the world shut down with the virus. In short order, life changed for us all. Consequently, I was forced to re-evaluate everything I once thought important. These circumstances shook me to the point that all unessential elements…
Comments Off on Forgiveness: A Sacrificial Act of the Will
Forgiveness: A Sacrificial Act of the Will
When people harm us, our natural human inclination is to retaliate or seek revenge. In contrast, the decision to forgive often comes with great effort or personal cost to the injured person. Ultimately, forgiveness is a sacrificial act of the will. It’s not a feeling but a committed choice. Forgiveness…
Comments Off on Through Loving Deeply We Become Real
Through Loving Deeply We Become Real
As a young girl, I learned what it meant to become real. When I was only 5 years old, I remember going to visit my great, great grandmother, Anna Peterson. She had just turned 103 and many family members gathered to celebrate her birthday at my great Aunt Mena and…
Comments Off on What’s Next This Year?
What’s Next This Year?
The year 2020 stands as a test of our resolve…and it isn’t even half over. Between my sister’s cancer, the Covid 19 pandemic, the economic downturn, and now riots in our cities, I can’t help but ask, ‘what’s next this year?’ How am I to respond personally as the world…
Comments Off on At Home in the Garden
At Home in the Garden
What a beautiful spring day! I’m at home in the garden trying to continue social distancing. Yesterday was perfect for planting my tomatoes. My grandfather Van Sickle always said to wait until after my mother’s birthday to set out the tomatoes to avoid frost. Well Mom turned 86 on Friday…
Comments Off on Time: The Most Precious Commodity
Time: The Most Precious Commodity
Time. It’s the most precious commodity. Yet often we appreciate it the least. People seek after wealth and fame but let time slip away. Even though we all understand that our days are numbered, we waste much of what we’re given. Only when life brings difficult circumstances, do we suddenly…
Missing the Better Part
As Halloween comes to a close and we roll into Thanksgiving, the race is on. Tis the season for busyness. For women it’s particularly taxing. If you’re anything like me, you long to bring a smile to your family’s faces and make the holidays bright. But at what cost? In…
