Designing a life of peace, joy and laughter.
A few hours ago, I sat across a fast-food table from my 8-year-old drinking a peppermint chip milkshake. (My original idea was to eat healthy before Thanksgiving tomorrow, but plans changed.) We were on a lunch date. He wanted to bring a deck of Empathy Cards, which is a kind of game, like table topics. … Continue reading Nourish.
Last Sunday afternoon, we were setting down plates and moving serving dishes from the kitchen to the table. My 8-year-old said, “Mom, why do we only have lunch together on Sundays?” “What do you mean?” I asked. “I mean, like, we don’t eat lunch together on Saturdays or any other day…we just come in and … Continue reading Lunch.
My good friend texted this phrase this morning: “Life has been relentless this month.” Relentless. Do you feel that way? In the past two weeks, our family has had a health scare, a back injury, and two Covid exposures with all the resulting contingency plans. Nothing catastrophic, but I resonated with the word “relentless” when … Continue reading Really old graffiti.
“This has been “Some Good News,” reminding you that no matter how tough life can get, there is always good in the world.” – John Krasinski A year ago, in the first several weeks of the pandemic, my kids and I discovered something delightful. Our weeks had been filled with bad news: school was closed, … Continue reading Some Good News vs. Toxic Positivity
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." - Anne Lamott National Margarita Day is Monday and I may be celebrating early. Donkey Taqueria here in Grand Rapids is offering these three fun flavors starting today, and I think I would like to try the Thai Basil one. … Continue reading Rest.
Last weekend, we were driving our minivan home through the Appalachian mountains with the kids. It had been a long day in the van, and fast food was the plan for dinner. We couldn’t agree on one restaurant, so we chose both Taco Bell and McDonald’s, the best options at that highway exit. At the … Continue reading “The Long Cut”
We were driving along in the jeep last Saturday afternoon heading to a corn maze with the boys. I had just heard from our neighbor that someone we both know had been in an accident and was critically hurt in a hospital up north. His wife is a friend of a friend, but I don’t … Continue reading “Don’t you remember our mantle?”
Grief is weighing down my heart yet again this week. Our company is reducing jobs, and the heaviness of losing friend after friend at work drains the bit of energy that I still had. All these people who have added so much value to our work and our lives now need to start over. Monday … Continue reading “Get up and eat.”
“It smells like Christmas!” A few weeks ago, we were hiking in the Tetons on vacation, and all of us noticed and commented on the scent of the pine forest wherever we hiked. It smells fresh and makes you want to keep taking deep breaths. And my sons kept saying how much it smelled like … Continue reading The Smell of Hope
This is harder than I thought. Yesterday I hosted a group of clients in person for about 5 hours on our corporate campus. I came home before 5:00, and fell deeply, soundly asleep for an hour. I had a terrible headache, stiff neck, and dry throat. Even this morning, after a full nights’ sleep, I still have bags under my eyes.
New Every Morning 