"After all the dreaming, planning, and praying, I'm now at the threshold of Iona," I wrote in my journal a year ago as I looked across the white-capped-waters of the sound toward the stone buildings of the Abbey. I'd made it to the village of Fionnphort in the Inner Hebrides, where I'd booked a room … Continue reading Gather Yourself: Lessons in Scotland
#peopleinmypath
Everybody has a Story
The student had become a frequent-flyer in my school nurse’s office. I knew her pattern of dropping in mid-day when she had a class where she struggled. At first, I struggled with being patient with her because she stuttered. It was hard for her to get out a simple sentence about wanting pain medicine for … Continue reading Everybody has a Story
The Stranger on the Bus
We stood at the West Tisbury shuttle bus stop on a Saturday afternoon in Martha’s Vineyard. I’d been experiencing that island in Massachusetts for the first time, staying in a hostel for $27.00 a night—the only way I could afford that expensive place. I’d enjoyed the morning at the Farmer’s Market at the Grange Hall … Continue reading The Stranger on the Bus
Depth of Despair
We sat in front of the television eating our barbeque sandwiches and watching Perry Mason reruns. My cousin, Linda, had loved that show since she was a twenty-year-old when it was produced in 1961. I remembered seeing it as a girl, and at the time, I didn’t appreciate how handsome Raymond Burr was—which I saw … Continue reading Depth of Despair
Happy Wanderer
I should have left an hour earlier. That’s what I said to myself when I was in bumper-to-bumper traffic for almost an hour, just after leaving Jacksonville, Florida with a seven-hour drive ahead. My rental car was due back at Raleigh-Durham airport by 8:00 p.m. and I didn’t want to add an extra day of … Continue reading Happy Wanderer
Bridge St. Breakfast: People in Our Path
Saturday morning of my Florida pilgrimage began in the usual way; taking my morning walk and praying for God to bless me and the people in my path. Starting with this intention fills me with curiosity about who I will encounter along the way. While most of the day would be spent with my cousin, … Continue reading Bridge St. Breakfast: People in Our Path
Road Trip: Headed South
This morning I leave on my journey. I'm reminded of the first road trip I took with my family to Florida the summer after second grade. In typical 'Daddy fashion,' we left around 2:00 a.m. because he liked to drive when it was quiet and cool-- since our two-tone-blue '58 Chevrolet didn't have air conditioning. … Continue reading Road Trip: Headed South
Blame it on Rumi
I awoke at 3:30 in the morning, Paris time, and couldn’t get back to sleep. In fact, I had barely rested the first two nights of our trip. My body wouldn’t be fooled into thinking it should be snoozing when it was six hours earlier at home. My mind was filled with the images of … Continue reading Blame it on Rumi
Sedona: A Serendipitous Journey
Taking yearly pilgrimages started after my serendipitous journey to Sedona. What made that such a pivotal point, was the juxtaposition of entrapment with freedom. During the preceding eight months of cancer treatment, I’d been closely monitored; by the clinical trials research company I worked for to see if I was able to do my job; … Continue reading Sedona: A Serendipitous Journey
Surprised by #GoingSocial
I walked away from the pitch session at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers’ Conference, stunned yet hopeful. The literary agent had shown interest in my memoir. She had a couple of suggestions for the text—easy fixes, I thought. But then she’d added, “I want you to get your social media following up to 2-3K … Continue reading Surprised by #GoingSocial
Connie Rosser Riddle 