This weekend, I took off for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic and headed for the coast. When I long for renewal, the water has always drawn me, especially the ocean, My last trip was exactly a year ago when my younger sister, Peggy generously planned a trip for us when I … Continue reading Come to the Water
North Carolina
Taking Time to Play
For the past ten years, I've spent Veteran's Day hiking with my favorite living veteran, my cousin, Danny. He's eleven years older than me, so when I was young and we had our big family gatherings at our Grandma Smith's, we didn't hang out. I thought of him like an older brother. Since I only … Continue reading Taking Time to Play
Celebrating a Life
Today I'm remembering a solo journey I took back in 2009 to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My desire was to visit the place that had been significant for my mother. She and her cousin, Yvonne traveled there by train when they were both nineteen to prepare for work in WWII as civil servants. Throughout my childhood, Mama … Continue reading Celebrating a Life
New Beginnings: Moving Beyond the Gap
In last week's post, I left you sitting in The Gap, encouraging you to allow yourself to feel that anxiety that comes with uncertainty, finding a resting spot in that trough between Endings and New Beginnings (see Forced Endings: Struggling in The Gap) New Beginnings is that last stage of Bill Bridges Map for Change where … Continue reading New Beginnings: Moving Beyond the Gap
Journeys to the Past
At this time of year, I feel a yearning to return to childhood. I long to smell the cedar tree decorated with a string of large multi-colored lights and icicles; to taste the cherries in my aunt's paper-thin cookies; to feel the rush of being in the basement of Rose's Dime Store looking at my hoped-for … Continue reading Journeys to the Past