September 11, 2001 Americans mourn the events of that day but look forward with hope. After teaching English to high school second language learners, I heard a co-worker mention a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. Surely she is mistaken, I thought as I called my husband while traveling…
Change Someone’s Day by Noticing
My friend’s day changed when someone noticed. Angela, a young wife and mother of three, gave me permission to share her recent online post: To the mama in the Target parking lot that saw me struggling to unload three kids and yelled across the parking lot, “You’re doing great, Mama,”…
Finding Joy in the Mud Puddles of Life
What can you see in a mud puddle? Maybe the answer depends on the angle of your view. Following suggested activities in Soul Care for Writers by Edie Melson1 I took pictures of various nature scenes including reflections in water. The only water available at the time I chose to…
Are You Thirsty?
During the flood of 1994 our city water supply failed. Tropical Storm Alberto lambasted the panhandle of Florida and then collided with a cold front from Alabama to produce three days of lingering thunderstorms in our area. As a result, our river escaped its banks and swamped the water treatment…
The “Dailyness” of Life
Cicadas are loud, especially when I’m reading on the deck. This morning the shrill notes of their orchestra played fortissimo! Once they distracted me, I heard other sounds—a dog barking in the distance, the hum of the deck ceiling fan, and the songs of two different birds. Although the cicadas…