Yesterday was Armed Forces Day. When I was a girl, our family spent that day at Pope Air Force Base participating in the celebration. My parents were very patriotic, part of that "Greatest Generation" with Daddy an army veteran and Mama a Civil Service Worker during WWII. Being on the grounds of the base had … Continue reading Armed Forces Day: A New Way to Celebrate
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“Will You Forgive Me?” : Online Dating
We'd met through an online dating site at the end of December. It was easy to talk with him from the very first message. We shared a love of music, activities including dancing, family, faith-- and surprisingly, words--me, primarily with writing and for him-- public speaking. We laughed easily and had a similar energy. The … Continue reading “Will You Forgive Me?” : Online Dating
Happy Divorce-ary
It's been one year since our divorce was granted. Recently, when I was looking through greeting cards at Walgreen's, it occurred to me that there are no cards for acknowledging that benchmark in your life. There are Happy Anniversary cards that celebrate another year of making it in a marriage-- but nothing to note the … Continue reading Happy Divorce-ary
Ghosted: Online Dating
I started this online dating journey a year ago. I've taken note of all the guys I've encountered on this path. Some I've only messaged on the site; some I've known through phone conversations and texting; others, I've met in person for coffee, hikes, dinner or drinks. So much about this new way of dating … Continue reading Ghosted: Online Dating
Taking a Risk in Kentucky
Lately I've been remembering my solo journey in 2016 that was the longest I've ever taken. That year I traveled to Kentucky, to a rural area that was an hour, northeast of Lexington. There I attended an artist's residency at Artcroft, a program that provided living quarters and studios for artists-- including writers. I'd learned … Continue reading Taking a Risk in Kentucky
You Are Enough
That Saturday morning a year ago, I stood waiting for the ferry that would take me across the sound to the island of Iona for my week's stay at the Abbey. I'd dreamed of going to Scotland to that historic pilgrimage site and it was becoming a reality. When the ferry workers were preparing for … Continue reading You Are Enough
Gather Yourself: Lessons in Scotland
"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
A Father’s Care
I’ve thought a lot about a father’s care over the past six weeks as I’ve watched my son, Brooks become a father. You can see the joy, the weight, the responsibility, the wonder of his new role as he tenderly cares for his baby boy. From the time Brooks knew they were going to be … Continue reading A Father’s Care
If It Feels Wrong
When we were children, many of us heard our parents say, “If it feels wrong, don’t do it.” That was a way to help us judge right from wrong, that internal compass that kept us on the proper course. Probably those first deciding points were about how we were treating our siblings-- at least it … Continue reading If It Feels Wrong
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
Connie Rosser Riddle 