Let's be Real
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Blood on our Hands
Today, my heart is heavy. My mind is in advocate mode. My body is tense and is perturbed. And I am being nudged to speak up. I must and I will. No politics. Just facts and a few questions that we must ask ourselves. “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” -Preamble, The Constitution of the United States of America Let me start by defining some…
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Household Blueprints
What were (or are) the values, virtues, rules in your home that hold the greatest importance? I have a love for words, so let me define these three for us. Values: to rate or scale in usefulness, importance, or general worth. Evaluate. Appreciate. Respect. Virtue: a commendable quality or trait. Character. Honesty. Integrity. Morality. Righteousness. Decency. Rules: a prescribed guide for conduct or action. Blueprint. Guideline. We hear this words used over and over, and honestly I get the meanings confused. Here is how I think of it: If I desire to live a life full of virtues, then this will define what my core values must be, and when…
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A Continuous Conversation
Happy Thursday! Tomorrow, I think, is one of the most fun holidays! St. Patricks Day, A.K.A. in our house, “Man under the leaf day,” because I couldn’t remember what it was called when I was little, so I re-named it 😊 As we do many things in our family. “Fat butter” = hunk of cheese. “Spagatical” = Sabbatical. Just to name a few… I just love any holiday that gets kids excited. Well come to think of it, I guess I’m a kid at heart because I get as excited as they do! One family that I kept years ago, the leprechauns would visit their house and would leave their…
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Two Minute Speeches
I recently watched a Parenting/Grandparenting Virtual Conference (yes, you read right. I would love to one day have Aunt/Uncle/GRANDfriends resource website/book/or part of this blog just for that someday, but as for now, I subscribe to Grandparenting sites and newsletters.). On this virtual conference there were a set of grandparents who gave some great suggestions for dinner family time. One was two minute speeches. Since this past weekend was a long weekend for my niece and nephew, they came to stay with us! We were able to celebrate my niece’s upcoming birthday and have an extended quality time with them. So at one of our meals, I suggested what I…
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If it’s not one thing…
I come to you today a bit weary, but grateful. You know the saying, “if it’s not one thing, it’s another”? Well, if you yourself have chronic illness, or you advocate for someone with chronic illness, you know the impact of this phrase. First, let me make very clear how grateful I am to live so close to an amazing medical hospital and clinics. This truly is by far an incredible gift! So many have to move to get closer to the help they need, or travel constantly for medical appointments. Second, I am grateful to have insurance that this hospital and clinics remain in network. This being said, the…
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Name, Claim, No Room for Shame!
As I watch the coverage of Hurricane Ian, I am struck with all sorts of emotion. I am also remembering the documentaries that I just watched barely two weeks ago, “When the Levees Broke” and then the follow-up “If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise,” which are about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. The devastation, the brokenness, the loss of lives, homes, loss of everything they had ever known. No two stories were the same, but every person, every story was effected by the hurricane. The trauma, the loss, the reactions, no two were the same, yet they all experienced the same horrific storm. Have you ever experienced…
