Choosing to Keep Christmas All the Year … or Not

Beth Vogtchange, choices, Christmas, COVID-19, expectations, holidays, hope, Life, perseverance, perspective, Quotes 12 Comments

@bethvogt It’s time to take down our Christmas tree. I know, I know, some of you are thinking, “It’s long past time to take that tree down, Beth!” After Christmas, my husband Rob decided we needed light in our lives. Keeping our Christmas tree up was a perfect way to accomplish that. We also left our Christmas star up outside …

Choosing to Conquer Our Challenges One Small Step at a Time

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, COVID-19, grief, hope, Life, perseverance, perspective, Quotes, stress 14 Comments

@bethvogt The subject of resilience came up last weekend during a text conversation with my friend Bernadette. We were discussing how a year has passed since COVID upended our lives. One whole year. Also, like so many others, Bernadette and I are walking through grief because family members died during the pandemic. “I don’t know about you, but I feel …

Choosing to Keep the Lights Turned On

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, Christmas, COVID-19, Faith, holidays, hope, Life, New Year, perseverance, perspective, Quotes 16 Comments

@bethvogt My family always packs away our Christmas decorations right after the new year. Only this year, we didn’t. My husband Rob suggested we keep our outside lights up until we no longer have to wear masks because of COVID-19. His recommendation includes the white lights on the evergreen tree in our front yard. It’s grown taller than we ever …

Choosing to Balance Our Expectations with Reality During the Holidays

Beth Vogtacceptance, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, choices, Christmas, COVID-19, expectations, family, holidays, hope, Life, perseverance, perspective, Quotes, Reality 8 Comments

@bethvogt Like it or not, the holidays are coming in the midst of a pandemic. I don’t know anyone who likes it. I also acknowledge each of us honor different holiday traditions: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa. Some of us may have even broken away from our original family customs. And in the midst of all of this, there may be other …

What Do We Do When Thanksgiving and Grief Collide?

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, brokenness, challenges, choices, COVID-19, crisis, family, grace, grief, holidays, hope, Life, mental health, perseverance, perspective, Quotes, Reality, suffering 14 Comments

@bethvogt   Our Thanksgiving holiday is complicated this year. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. It is 2020, after all. A world-wide pandemic doesn’t take a day off so we can observe our annual holiday traditions. Some of us have already decked our halls with fa-la-la-la-la because we just need a little Christmas right now – not later. Then in …

Choosing to Believe Love Conquers COVID-19

Beth VogtBeth K. Vogt, challenges, choices, COVID-19, Faith, family, grief, hope, Life, Love, perspective, Quotes, Reality, Relationships 22 Comments

My 102-year-old mother-in-law was diagnosed with COVID-19 in October. Our family kept the news off social media, told some close friends, and prayed a lot. We also predicted that, in her typical determined fashion, she’d beat the virus. I’ve always said that if my mother-in-law was run over by a Mack truck, she’d stand up, brush herself off, and proclaim, …

Choosing to Reset Our Thoughts When We’re Anxious

Beth Vogtanxiety, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, choices, courage, COVID-19, crisis, emotions, hope, Life, mental health, perseverance, perspective, Quotes, stress 10 Comments

@bethvogt I’m keeping today’s post straightforward. As I write these words, tallies are coming in for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. I have no idea what news tomorrow will bring — about the election or anything else I’m concerned about, for that matter. And I do have other things I’m worried about. I know a lot of people are anxious …

Choosing to Make Less Stress a Priority

Beth Vogtanxiety, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, change, choices, COVID-19, emotions, family, hope, Life, mental health, perseverance, perspective, Quotes, stress 14 Comments

@bethvogt I snapped a photo of a Good Housekeeping magazine article’s title – “15 No-Fail Stress Busters to Deal with This Year’s Chaos” – and texted it to my 3 daughters and one daughter-in-love. “I think I need every one on this list.” Ha Ha. They each responded with laughing emojis, but I’m certain they all felt the same way …

Choosing to be Honest About Depression

Beth Vogtanxiety, Beth K. Vogt, brokenness, challenges, choices, emotions, health, hope, Life, perseverance, perspective, Quotes 29 Comments

@bethvogt   A few weeks ago, I applied for long term health insurance. After all the ups and downs we’ve had with my mother-in-law’s care, my husband, Rob, and I want to do as much as we can to ease things in the future for our adult children. Last week, the company denied my application. Okay then. Then the real …

Choosing to Stress or Choosing to Trust

Beth Vogtanxiety, Beth K. Vogt, challenges, choices, expectations, Faith, health, hope, Life, perspective, Quotes, Reality, stress, trust 13 Comments

@bethvogt Life stopped abruptly for me last week, thanks to unrelenting muscle spasms in my jaw. Forget powering through the pain – sleeping was the wiser choice, curling up in my bed with either a heating pad or ice pack pressed to my face. Not how I planned to spend the week. Several days in, I was in bed – …