Every year, usually around the middle of October, I start to anticipate the holiday season. My family celebrates Christmas, and I have been known to listen to Christmas music before November 1st (living in a climate that just suffered a snowstorm on Halloween makes this practice seem a bit less outrageous). I look forward to…
A few months ago, our family decided to submit an application to a local dog rescue organization. Soon afterward, we were approved to meet a seven-month old puppy living with a foster family and found ourselves driving home with a new four-legged friend. There is no shortage of things to love about this young pup:…
Of all weather stretches in the Midwest, the time period after the holidays, and before spring, is often the most challenging. Many would argue “spring” never comes, or if it does appear, it is only for a day or two and then summer sets in. This year, the Midwest winter lingered far past its welcome,…
In the many years I have worked as a counselor, I often talk with people about the challenges they struggle with and what goals they have to work through such challenges. When asked about these goals, I find that many people’s first inclination is to just say, “I wish I did not have to face…
My husband enjoys sharing some unsolicited, mostly lighthearted guidance with recently married men. He advises them to greet their partners with the words “I am sorry” when they see each other at the end of the day. In response to the quizzical looks he typically receives, my husband goes on to explain: “You probably did…
Most of the time, when I finish interacting with someone, I part ways with a simple phrase: “take care”. These two words carry quite a bit of meaning. When we advise someone to “take care”, we encourage them to focus on their own well-being, despite the unknown difficulties they may face as the day progresses.…
My husband and I enjoy taking regular walks in and around our neighborhood. Particularly in the nicer weather, we see several people out and about, and often wave or stop to say hello. We encounter one gentleman on a fairly regular basis who never acknowledges us in return. This has inspired an increased amount of…
My daughter recently finished college in another state and moved back home for the start of her graduate studies. Although I was extremely excited at the prospect of having her close by for the next two years, I was a little less enthusiastic as I surveyed the vanload of things accompanying her back home. As…
January is a month when many of us resolve to identify and implement more positive living habits. At a New Year’s Eve gathering, our family took turns sharing our “resolutions”. The responses seemed to involve the typical goals: live more in the present, eat nutritious foods and exercise, do well in school, and even get…
This past summer, my husband and I visited a small resort community for a weekend vacation. One morning, we headed into a breakfast café and immediately knew this was not the spot where we wanted to eat one of our few meals out during our getaway. While the restaurant was popular and trendy, we were…