This quote is one of my new favorite quotes. The words of Albert Einstein made me stop and think: What did I learn in school? I learned what I was good at … and what I wasn’t good at. I loved spelling bee days — lining up against the blackboard and waiting my turn to spell words. I believe you’re …
In Others’ Words: A Second Spring
I’m blessed to live in Colorado where autumn is a visible event. By that I mean the leaves on the trees change color and fall … the whole seasonal rite of passage. I lived in Florida for eight years so I know what it’s like to reside in a place where seasons come and go without any real visible signs …
In Others’ Words: Imperfect Learning
I like to tell people that I don’t hang around with perfect people because they make me uncomfortable. I usually say it in such a way that I get a laugh. Ha ha ha. Nobody’s perfect, right? Except those of us pretending that we are. Acting like we have life all figured out. All under control. Been there, done that. Had …
In Others’ Words: The Reality of Dreams
I’m all about dreams … and I know what it takes to make dreams a reality. I love the beginnings of dreams. The “what ifs” and the “maybes” and the daring it takes to reach for that oh-so-personal wish upon a star. I get just as excited when someone else shares the beginning of their dream with me as I do …
In Others’ Words: The Practice and Purpose of Journaling
I started keeping a journal because Miss Gooley, my freshman English teacher, required it. Besides our regular assignments — reading, writing papers, taking quizzes and tests — students in Miss Gooley’s class had to keep a journal. Miss Gooley would read our entries, make comments, return our journals, and we’d repeat the process, all year long. Decades later, I’m still …
In Others’ Words: The Beautiful, Terrible Truth
I respect the truth. I wrote those words … and realized that there was a time in the last 24 hours where I was less than truthful. I didn’t lie. No. I just didn’t speak up and state the truth, the whole truth, so help me God. Of course, I wasn’t on the witness stand, my hand on the …
In Others’ Words: I Must Write
It’s been a week of story. Depending on the hour of the day, I’ve either been mulling over a story idea or talking about a story idea with my writing friend and mentor, Rachel Hauck, or writing out a story idea, a.k.a a synopsis … and repeat, repeat, repeat. The sentence in the quote, “I must write it all out, …
In Others’ Words: Listen for the Laughter
I got together with several writing friends last night. We talked writing, of course. And we also talked about what was going on in our lives. The common theme for all of us? Life was crazy. I wish I could say that our lives were crazy-fun, but we’re all dealing with different versions of crazy-challenging kinds of things. Crazy-exhausting kinds of …
In Others’ Words: It’s a Mess
One of the great truths that I’ve embraced is that life is messy. Really, really messy. And I’m okay with that. When I say I’m okay with life being messy, I don’t mean I like the messiness of life. Not at all. What I mean is I’ve stopped pretending life isn’t messy … that life doesn’t hurt … that things …
In Others’ Words: The Better Friend
A few weeks ago I heard that September is National Friendship month. I liked the sound of that: a whole month celebrating, among other things, friendship. It’s also National Honey Month. And National Courtesy Month. And National Sewing Month. And National Blueberry Popsicle Month. On a more serious note, September is also National Suicide Prevention Month. And that leads me …