How fortunate I feel every day. Especially today, May 8, 2011. My youngest daughter Brett (youngest by four minutes) is about to complete her plebe year at the U.S. Naval Academy. My “middle” daughter Jana (Brett’s twin sister) is flying home as I write, inwardly pleased with her awesome GPA as …
Joy
Poets, Purpose & Passion
My daughter Brett teases me for putting “movies that matter” on the Netflix queue. Though my husband and I do watch our fair share of romantic comedies, espionage, and intrigue, for the most part I prefer movies with a message—such as Dead Poets Society. (Dave, God bless him, has grown used to my …
Phantom, Passion, and Perseverance (Jory Fisher)
“Mom, we have to drive to Dallas NOW! An ice storm is coming, and my flight will get cancelled again!” Hmmmm … It takes almost 20 hours to drive straight from Lynchburg to Dallas in good weather … “Jana, honey, that’s not going to work. Let’s see what other options we have.” Thus continued our …
Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel
Thinking of balancing sweat-of-the-brow work and restful leisure brings to mind a tall, skinny man teetering on a beach ball while spinning ten plates in the air….and Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel. Balance. How do people (and squirrels) do it????? I gave up long ago. But at least I try to …
New Horizons
The young girl’s face was flush with joy and excitement as she eagerly awaited The Countdown at Times Square. Her proud father stood next to her, frigid cold but beaming from ear to ear. On national TV she told us that she had begged her dad to take her to NYC for New Year’s Eve. His response: …
Sugar Plums and Mangers
What young girl wouldn’t welcome a magical journey through the Land of Snow? Where snowflakes turn into dancing maidens? Where the Snow King and Queen usher us and our handsome Nutcracker Prince into the Land of Sweets, Mother Ginger, and the Sugar Plum Fairy? Most of us relish our …
A Joyful Spirit
With the symbol of infinity in your mind’s eye, consider the relationship between joy and gratitude. The more gratitude, the more joy. The more joy, the more gratitude. They flow together, blend together, dance together, play together. Maya Angelou got it right. “A joyful spirit is evidence of …