I don’t remember where I saw the photo, but the moment it captured has stayed in my memory. The picture caught a large group of parade-watchers crowded onto a city sidewalk. Too many people in too little space. The scene highlighted an elderly woman calmly resting her arms on the street barrier, leaning into the scene, watching the parade go by. Smiling. Relaxing. Soaking it all in. Standing around this woman were a whole lot of others taking selfies. Posing. Finding the right light. Looking at their phones/cameras with their backs Continue Reading
Not in Charge
The joke is that Minnesota has two seasons: winter and road construction. Well, we are well into road construction time here while the snow still melts. There’s a big highway overpass project just down the road from us. Heavy equipment that’s taller than the trees. Trucks that look like they can haul 50 tons of stuff. And the dirt. Oh my, the dirt. And the cement. Lots of it. Driving by it the other day (using the annoying detour, of course), I said to Steve, “I’m so glad I’m not in charge of that project.” A short time later we Continue Reading
He Reached and Pulled
My chiropractor. My dentist. A Geek Squad Agent. If I am ever sent to a remote island to live for a year, or actually, if I was sent anywhere to live for any amount of time, and I could take only three “professional services” kind of people with me, that’s who I’d take. Yup. I figure that between the three of them, they could fix anything that happens to me. If I could bring only one chapter from the Bible with me? Psalm 18. Have you read this chapter lately? I mean, really. It’s filled with stuff that movie producers dream of. Continue Reading
Let It Go
Good heavens. We are so hard on ourselves sometimes, aren’t we? I was driving down Rice Street yesterday and noticed the white light flashing over the intersection ahead, indicating that an emergency vehicle was somewhere in the area. Checking my rear-view mirror, I saw the ambulance lights flashing, coming up fast behind me. I pulled over to the side of the road, up against a curb. (Just like Mr. Taus taught me in driver’s ed.) But there wasn’t enough room to get completely out of the driving lane. The car behind me zipped around Continue Reading
Breathing Deeply
Oh, the plans! The goals! The lists! The git-er-done before the sun comes up focus! Nothing can stop me! And then … OVERWHELM. The word itself creates a feeling, doesn’t it? Especially the “whelm” part. I feel my arms filled with large, heavy, grey rocks that weigh me down from the muscles in my neck, through my back, and into my calves. They’re boulders, actually. More weight than I can realistically carry. I keep trying to move them to … someplace … and I don’t consider that perhaps I could take just one at a time. Too many Continue Reading
Getting Rid of the Novocaine
The dentist’s office has never been one of My Happy Places. I remember a friend telling me that she loved to have her teeth cleaned. I thought she was joking. Could not fathom that. It’s the poking and drilling that send my blood pressure through the top of my head. And of course, the sharp pricks when novocaine is involved. The dentist says, “You’ll feel a little sting,” and then the needle goes in. A little sting here, a little poke there, another sting…and my gum starts going numb. More pokes? The numbness spreads. This Continue Reading
Living in Two Worlds
Wanting desperately to be married. Wanting desperately not to be married. Desperate for a job. Desperate for a different job. Dreaming of a good night’s sleep. Dreaming of the ability to get out of bed. If we live in America, we have much to be thankful for. And…if we live in America, our individual needs and wants are unique. We live in two worlds. In one, we are (or should be) aware of the blessings showered on us every moment we take a breath. Our nights are not interrupted by the blinding lights of missiles hitting Continue Reading
Celebrating the Burpees!
So I decided to do a few burpees today. Yeah, I know. I have no idea where that idea came from. The only time I’ve done them in the past is when my favorite trainer, Jody, told me to do them. And that was about four years ago. It's not something that's on my "When I want to have fun I will do this..." list. I wiggled and loosened up, stretched a bit, and got to it. A squat down, kick-your-feet-back push-up, followed by a jump up with arms towards the sky. Then a prayer that my life wouldn't end, and that my heart wouldn't beat right out Continue Reading
Please Remember
It’s a month filled with busy stuff. Endings and beginnings. And with those changes, we celebrate the events that make us smile, and sigh with the moments that disappoint. I’m guessing that more photos are taken during the month of May than any other month of the year. (Well, maybe December sends more images into the iCloud.) Those moments that we want to capture can be filled with so many emotions, can’t they? Continue Reading
His Ways Work
When I get behind in keeping things organized, my work space looks like wind gusts of 55 mph just ripped through the room. The piles of papers and scratch notes and lists, lists, lists remind me that life has moved from "I've got this!" To "Good grief, have mercy." The same scenario plays out in my head when there’s just too much busy-ness going on. Priorities are up for grabs, broken hearts and broken bodies need attention and prayers, and I want to make everyone I love feel better. And the to-do lists...Oh! The to-do lists! They are Continue Reading
Living a Full Life
Loved. This. My friend and I were sitting at a small table in the coffee shop, reminiscing about our days at Northwest Airlines. Catching up on where life has taken us since then. In the middle of updates and future plans, my friend very nonchalantly said, "I have a full life." Oh my. Those words made me pause. When was the last time I heard someone say that? Most conversations include... "Life is crazy busy." "We're hanging in there." "Too much going on." How my friend described his life was an ah-ha moment for Continue Reading
This is Livin’!
It’s how my dad lived his life… Creating “This is livin’!” moments. I don’t think I ever heard dad complain. About anything. And I know I never heard him say a bad word about anyone. Ever. He was too busy looking for the good. What an awe-inspiring way to live. Dad really loved life. He found joy in the little things. A good piece of pie. A good (very weak) cup of coffee. Fishing with the grandkids. Eating vanilla ice cream while watching the Minnesota Vikings on TV. Listening to the Twins on the radio. Talking with his Continue Reading
I Took a Bad Detour
Oh my word. It happens so fast. In one moment I'm dancing around in My Happy Place (not literally though, because I've never really felt like dancing when things are great - I'm more of a high-fives in the air and whoo-hooing myself kind of girl), feeling good because everything seems to be under control. And then... I make a mistake. And within an hour I've been bumped from My Happy Place and bounced into the Place of Pity and Despair. And who did the bumping? Me. Myself. I. Good grief. Have you taken this trip? We can Continue Reading
Losing Part of Tuesday
So then this happened. I had just finished my workout at the Y last week Tuesday. I called my sister from the lobby, and that’s the last normal thing I remember for a while. When I went into the locker room to get my gym bag, the room seemed to be tilted on its side. The lockers looked like they were toppling over. I couldn’t figure out where I was or what I was trying to do. But I recognized the locker number I usually stick my stuff in…and then I don’t remember what happened next. Piecing this crazy half-hour together with Continue Reading
Influence That Molds Us
It has all become so annoying. The yelling. The posturing. The intensity. Republicans. Democrats. Independents. And all of the media voices, PR folk, and political advisors. I wish they would Just. Stop. Yelling. It’s as if they each received a memo that said… The winner of the argument, debate, promo clips, etc. will be the person who speaks the loudest. Yells the most. Uses the most vocal intensity. And uses the most force when punctuating the air with hand gestures. It just all seems so wrong. And sad. Their Continue Reading
Starting a Different Life
Starting a different life. It doesn’t require a complete life overhaul. My sisters and I take turns staying with mom to help her out. If we aren’t in the room with her when she needs something, she sings out, Whoo hoo! Not a big deal when it’s daylight. But when I hear Whoo hoo! at 4:00 a.m. in the morning, I fling myself out of the trundle bed and already have an emergency plan in place by the time I tumble into her bedroom. A few mornings ago, the flinging and tumbling were part of my early a.m. activities. She wasn’t sick. Continue Reading
Vacation…Time for Happy
All good things must come to an end. Why? Who decided that? The poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to say it in 1374. (It’s a good thing that he also wrote the classic book, The Canterbury Tales. Those stories are certainly brighter than his all good things statement.) That statement kept circling in my mind at the end of our vacation earlier this week. Boy. It’s tough to get back to the daily normal after days filled with lots of sunshine, naps, good food, longer walks, more time on the porch, more good books, limited Continue Reading
Sometimes it Takes a Nap
The last runner brought the tears and the clarity. Sitting at a stoplight, I watched a group of high school track guys cross in front of me…a little pack of lean, toned, athletes. Then a few moments later, just as the light changed to green, one lone, lanky runner pulling up the rear stopped on the corner. Separating himself even more from the group. The tears started rolling down my cheeks. {Good grief}. My heart just ached for him as I watched him put one hand on a knee and the other on the stoplight pole. You could see he was Continue Reading
Doing Great Things
Great things. Actions that change someone’s life. That change our communities. That make our hearts smile. Let’s do them, OK? Let’s do Great Things this summer. Our pace changes during these few months. It seems easier to breathe. (At least it does here in Minnesota when we don’t have to worry about icicles forming inside the wool scarf that wraps around our nose!) Days are longer and we find more time away from our usual routine. We’re more likely to connect with people in person – reunions, vacations, trips to the Continue Reading
Just Sit
My faith journey has certainly had its share of questions. One question I struggled with was this… When someone was going through a tough time and they said that they just “got into the Word” and “got before the Lord” …I would wonder... What does that mean? What does that look like? How do you do that? Those people who said that so strongly and faithfully seemed so…spiritual. Like they had it all figured out. And I didn’t. When my heart was breaking and the tear bucket was overflowing, I wanted desperately to meet God Continue Reading
The Best Version of Me
Blog Alert: This post is a Proud Auntie moment! My niece, Kelsey Charron, has started her own blog. One of her first notes frames my thoughts for these comments. Life. It requires so many decisions, doesn’t it? Family choices about elderly parent’s care. Business choices about direction. Personal choices about priorities. And then it’s time to get out of bed. So as I was thinking last week about what to do, what to do, what to do… Kelsey’s writing reminded me of the importance of who to be, who to be, who to Continue Reading
Look For The Extraordinary
Intentionally.
Intentionally exceptional. Love that! I’m working with an impressive consultant, Wendy K. Walters. Her team member, Kate, uses those two words in her signature line: Intentionally exceptional, Kate. Doesn’t the phrase just inspire a whole bunch of confidence in her work and ability to deliver? It tells me that she is thinking about what it will take to be exceptional. And I will benefit from it. Continue Reading
Blah Blah Blah
I had come to the conclusion that the gentleman sitting behind me in 6F was never going to stop talking. It felt like his voice was sitting on the top of my head. No breaths, an intense tone, and a steady stream of words tapping my brain like a woodpecker. And we were only at the point in our flight where the flight attendant was reminding us that our seat cushions could be used as flotation devices. (We were flying from Kansas City to Dallas. Not sure which large body of water we’d be diving into.) And then…yes. His coffee was Continue Reading
Mom and Singing Practice
It was that sound. You know, the one that wakes you up and revs up your adrenaline big-time and you find yourself standing next to your bed wondering what strange thing is going on in the house while trying to decide if you should run or grab the lamp to defend yourself. I stood perfectly still, wide-awake, heart racing, and listened carefully. I heard it again. And then recognized it… It was my mom singing. Good grief. Here’s the back story… Continue Reading