I want to stop the war in Syria, the bombings in Afghanistan, Turkey, France, and wherever they are occurring. I want to help little girls and boys grow up strong and capable and kind. I want honest, ethical people to run our country, states, and towns. I want health care available to all who need it. I want poverty to …
Words of Wisdom from a Child
“When things go bad, they’ll get good again.” My four-year-old granddaughter just wandered into my office with that piece of wisdom as I was sitting here contemplating what to write. I was impressed! When I asked, “What made you think of that?” she replied, “I heard it from a dog in a cartoon.” Hmmm…perhaps I need to expand the kinds …
It’s All about the Money
Yesterday, I was thinking about how hard I’ve worked, how much I’ve given away in time and talent and skills…and lamenting the fact that I’ve made so little money with anything I’ve done in the past ten years. People tell me I’ve been helpful, but, given our culture, I was feeling like I couldn’t have been TOO helpful if there …
The Essence of Life
“Where’s Grandma?” my four-year-old granddaughter, Caroline, asked my husband when she went downstairs for breakfast this morning. Her face clouded over; every morning for the past three weeks, I’ve been there to hug her and put her on my lap. Today, I was at Toastmasters. How wonderful to be missed! We’ve only known each other for three weeks, and quickly …
Time with Grandchildren
My four-year-old granddaughter’s face is on our computer screen right now. It will rotate out shortly, showing other photos of her and her eleven-year-old sister. This is how we’ve watched Lauren and Caroline grow up – on a screen – so having them in our home is truly a blessing. They lived in Hawaii nearly six years, then (as if …
Claim Your Age
At my Toastmasters meeting this morning, my Table Topics challenge (when we respond on the spot to a question or situation) was: “What were you doing in 1954?” My brain clicked backwards, until I reached that year and saw myself as a young girl. “Well, I was in the 6th grade in Michigan,” I began. As I looked at the …
Too Many Losses
The past couple weeks have been full of losses, both intimate and from afar. The US Navy’s Blue Angel flight team “lives” here in Pensacola. While practicing for a show in Georgia, one of the solo pilots did a maneuver which went awry, and he crashed into the ground, killing himself. The Blues are the best of the best, chosen …
Life is so fragile
Yesterday afternoon one of the Blue Angels crashed to the ground and died. One minute, he was among the world’s elite fliers – strong, capable, admired – then suddenly he was dead. It stunned the community here in Pensacola where the team is based. We love the Blues and what they represent. What happens to them affects us all. My …
Achieving the Goal
This morning, I completed the last of ten speaking projects required for Advanced Toastmaster Silver. I’m embarrassed to say just how long it has been since I finished #9…and how “blocked” I have felt over the final presentation and what to do for it. I’d drag out the manual now and then, look at the directions, draw a blank, then …
Wise Women Keep Learning
Saturday, April 30, I was fortunate to be keynote speaker at a woman’s conference. The theme was “Wise Women Keep Learning,” which we all did. My first session was on “Women’s Wisdom,” and I engaged everyone in discussions at their tables. There were about 75 women, so there was a lot of input. Question #1 was: “What do you wish …