Let's be Real
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My Story Isn’t Your Story, Your Story Isn’t Mine
“Before the IDEA, children like my son were stigmatized, stereotyped, and institutionalized.” Senator Maggie Hassan Oh what deep grief, abundance of lessons, and remarkable joys come with pain and struggle. What is life if we cannot allow our story to become part of the greater story of helping each other place one foot in front of the other? Senator Hassan has passion, conviction, and pain- if you have been in the special education ebbs and flows of the past 40-50 years, like my family has, you find yourself talking to the tv, shouting “Amen! Preach it!” I am not bringing this to your attention today for any political reasons. To…
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I’ve Been Here Before
My parents and I are currently going back and watching the West Wing TV show (1999-2006), many, many relevant lessons and applications for our world today, but more than that, I would like to share a quote from the series… “This guy is walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you, can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts us, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole can you…
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You Gotta Keep Walkin’
The above quote came from a book I just finished reading. I don’t often suggest “big kid books” for a number of reasons, but this one I highly recommend. If you have been on this writing road with me for a while, then you know I have a love for true stories, history, and pretty much getting to know culture, heritage, and just about everything that goes along with it. One of my deep, deep longings for knowledge has been for more understanding of the black church. The gospel music has always captivated my heart and soul. The raw and honest spirituals have helped me through some really hard places.…
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80 Hours
I didn’t forget about ya! Last week got wild and I just couldn’t get a post written and posted, I am sorry. A little snapshot of last week… I was in the midst of one of my not so kind summer migraine multi-day battles, overwhelmed and completely at my “it’s never going away” moments. There were repairs being done at our house, so my normal “comforts” were in a room I couldn’t get too. My Mom was literally the only comfort I had. I ended up sitting in the corner of her bathroom on the cold floor (cold calms my nerves) and just crying. Frustrated with my lack of progress…
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Home2 Sweet Home
FYI: I am going to review some companies that were absolutely amazing in this post, of which I am getting no incentives from. That’s how fabulous they were! In February-ish, my parents and I started talking about how it would be nice to move closer to my brother and his family, and also our many doctors. Our first move was for this same reason, but since the highway has gotten whack- always under construction, and traffic is always backing up. We had talked about this about a year ago, when we found out there was going to be a neighborhood built, like the one we were currently in, within five-ish…
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Moving… Not My Finest
As I sit and type this, I am surrounded by packed and unpacked boxes. Many items to be put up. Last night I went to bed at midnight, and if you know me, this was WAY past my bedtime! My body is screaming, “Are we done yet?” “Can’t we just give it all away?!?” Yes, and I would definitely do so, if it was acceptable to wear pjs everywhere I went and lived in a children’s book library 😊 But that’s not the case. So in the spirit of trying to find the thread of humor in everything, here are a few things that I have found humorous so far:…
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Willing to Be Wrong
Being Wrong or Being Right. Right or Left. For or Against. One side or the other. “You must pick” is the posture of most Americans at the moment. But if we truly searched our mind, heart, and soul, would they actually agree with what the world is telling us we must do? I’ll admit there are some things I can be optimistic about, but most things I am skeptical about at first, before I can get my hands on some good facts, or at least some credible information. Arguing and bickering are one of my biggest pet peeves. Along with yelling or raising your voice. I believe in a good…
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Russian Roulette Healthcare
Jumping right in today… If you are not aware, RFK jr. has been in a bunch of hearings this week for the HHS budget. And as the quote above states, I am always looking for even the slightest bit of change. An apology, even a “oops, I didn’t mean to phrase that comment that way,” something! I have watched half of today’s hearing and I am sad to report, nothing of the likes have occurred yet. Although, as an information and facts junkie, I was curious to find out how the administration was defining two phrases that they use repeatedly, and seemingly to deflect giving real answers. Allow me to…
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Generation to Generation
When a generation tolerates a sin, the next will celebrate it, and the generation after them won’t even know it is a sin. Unknown I have been sitting with this quote for a few weeks now. So I invite you to sit with it for a little bit before continuing… Every generation is marked with their “successes” and “failures.” Every generation is labeled these days and tagged with the “tech inventions” of the day. And I am not saying this is all bad, but hear me out, because it does become nauseating at some point. I am a Millennial/Gen Y, born between 1980-1996. My generation is tagged as the Information…
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Resting and Remembering
This past week, an older man who had a big impact on my life, passed on to see Jesus. I like to think he is seeing Lucy once again. He was a faithful Sunday School teacher, a radiant and welcoming greeter at a local funeral home, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, and mentor and cheerleader to many. He was always ready with a good funeral home joke to lighten the room. He knew what he believed and didn’t hold back. He started every Sunday with the scripture from Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on…
