The day Darlene shaved my head when it was inevitable that my hair would fall out, fifteen days after my first chemo, I returned home wondering how my family would handle it. When my tenth-grade son, Brooks saw me, he said, “Mom, you look like G.I. Jane!” and chuckled. Months after I finished my treatment … Continue reading You Need to Overseed!
#stepforwardfromcancer
Enlarge My Territory
The day after I was fired from The Research Company, I packed my suitcase for our family vacation at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. I was in a state of shock, thinking that for the first time in my adult life, I had no job to return to. My husband, David came in and handed me … Continue reading Enlarge My Territory
Hostel Mama at Martha’s Vineyard
The first time I stayed in a hostel it was not because my family encouraged me. My older son couldn’t believe it, questioning my rationale with, “Mom, you’re gonna stay in a hostel with axe murderers?” and then my younger son said, “Aren’t you too old to stay there? I thought they were for college … Continue reading Hostel Mama at Martha’s Vineyard
The Things People Say
I can remember the scene like it was yesterday. The three of us sharing the office at The Research Company. Tara had seen a former co-worker who’d just started cancer treatment. She said to Beth, the other woman in our office, “I can’t believe she’s worried about her weight. She’s just lucky to be alive.” … Continue reading The Things People Say
On Pilgrimage with Harold Fry
One morning when I walked in my neighborhood, I made a serendipitous discovery; a Little Free Library had just been installed. Inside the birdhouse for books, I spotted a title that caught my eye—The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Months later when our Edinburgh-bound train passed Berwick-upon-Tweed, I remembered how it had been the right … Continue reading On Pilgrimage with Harold Fry
Childhood Dreams
The dream of riding a horse in the wide-open West had been with me since I was a girl. Those Saturday morning shows like Roy Rogers spurred my interest, making me want to feel that freedom from a saddle. When my Aunt Polly told me stories of visiting the Tetons, my dream broadened to riding horseback … Continue reading Childhood Dreams
Sinners and Saints
Pilgrims have traveled to Iona, Scotland for centuries to the Abbey founded by Saint Columba. But before he was seen as a saint, he was recognized as a sinner for leading his Irish clan in a battle where three thousand died. He is every man and every woman; all of us with our shadow side … Continue reading Sinners and Saints
Flow of Life
It’s been sixteen years since I was told that day would be my last at The Research Company. Devastated, angry, and relieved to be free of them, I stepped forward onto an uncertain path. I was surprised my course returned me to school nursing. When I retired from that position last March, I had no … Continue reading Flow of Life
Fall Tapestry
October is a month of fall festivals and breast cancer awareness. Yesterday, both came together when I attended the Big Foot Festival near my hometown of Sanford. I don’t know a lot about Big Foot, but I went to support my friend, Donna, who’d organized the event as a fund raiser for clean water efforts. … Continue reading Fall Tapestry
Southern Drawl
I’ve encountered reactions to my Southern accent on my journeys outside the Southeast. But I didn’t expect to when I traveled to Iona. In an international place, I assume there’ll be many accents so that none will stand out. That’s what I’d experienced on my trips to New York City --so many foreign tongues that … Continue reading Southern Drawl
Connie Rosser Riddle 