We offer inspirational real-life stories about PEOPLE OF FAITH AND COURAGE; menus and cooking directions meant to fuel your creative inclinations and your healthy body in the form of MUSINGS OF A MIDWESTERN FOODIE; and ADVICE FOR LIFE from the perspective of those who have lived it to maturity.
I read an inspiring article recently on the human tendency to clutter our brains with projected whys and what-ifs and fill our heads with discordant noise. This sets up a perpetual tennis match of energy-sapping worries that distract us while awake and then follow us into our dreams.
Read MoreIt's 9:30 p.m. I've had a pleasant day. I enjoyed three good meals, plus a few hearty snacks. I got in some physical activity and ticked a few items off my to-do list. I had a phone call from a dear friend, taking the edge off my hunger for social connection. Now I am tucked into bed with an absorbing book, two chunky furballs purring at my side. Yes, life has provided many blessings in the form of creature comforts today. I offer a prayer of thanks.
But my greedy heart yearns for more.
Read MoreI've been thinking about things in my life I'd like to revise in 2024. Not alone in that, certainly. Virtually every newspaper or magazine you pick up this time of year reminds us of our obligation to take advantage of a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate, and all the other clichéd redundancies.
But this year I felt a need to approach things a bit differently.
Read MoreNoise has always bothered me. The kaboom of Independence Day fireworks made me cower as a child. The roar of the State Fair midway sent me running in search of a saner space as a teenager. And as a 20-something, the frantic buzzing of rush hour traffic while waiting for a bus left me straining for escape.
As an adult,
Read MoreI went neighborhood bathing before breakfast today.
Before your eyebrows disappear into your hairline, this did not involve my playing Goldilocks with various neighbors' bathtubs. In fact, no shocking display of inappropriate behavior was involved. This early morning ritual of ambling the winding streets surrounding my townhouse cluster is simply my version of what trendy types call "forest bathing."
Read MoreInfluencer. It's a fairly recent coinage. Online references paint the picture of someone who wields the power to affect purchasing decisions because of their authority, knowledge, position, or simply because they've You-tubed their way into the hearts of a large number of followers. Those who exploit their public popularity in order to steer public opinion and shape political thought also figure in.
Read MoreI was stunned by the rush of strong feelings that swept over me in that twinkling of a moment. But this was not the first surprise of the day.
It'd been three months since I last made the short drive from my townhouse to church on a Sunday morning. The sun shone, the birds chirped, and the traffic lights cooperated. Yet there was a sense of adventure to the trip, as if I were heading to an exotic destination with iffy directions in hand—no longer on autopilot for a formerly familiar ritual.
Getting ready, I felt out of step, too. No choir or bible study plus a new, staggered-services schedule meant a later departure. Too much time to dither over what to wear or get lost in a crossword puzzle. A second cup of coffee, maybe. Even time for butterflies to breed in my stomach. Strange, having something so basic feel so . . . strange.
Then there was that final weirdness as I rounded the corner and nosed my van toward a spot in the church parking lot, which was mostly empty at this early stage of reopening. As small, socially distanced outdoor clusters of my fellow congregants came into view, the emotions hit. Hard. Like a startling blast from the dashboard A/C. A lump hardened in my throat. Tears misted my vision. Fascinating how the human psyche works.
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