Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life – well, valuable, but small – and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven’t been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the [...]
Archive for the ‘Living Fully Present’ category
Have I been brave…enough?
July 13, 2010When I think of freedom…
July 3, 2010…I think of my son, who fought to protect our freedoms in search of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, the rights of the people in Iraq to self-determine their form of government, and then the rights of the Afghan people to hold free and fair elections in their country. …I think of the still-smoldering rubble of the [...]
Welcome to Valerie’s happy restroom!
June 27, 2010“Welcome to Valerie’s happy restroom! We’re gonna have a good time today. (singing) You are my sunshine, my only sunshine… Come on ladies, I got a special seat for you right here. You make me happy when skies are gray… No need to wait in line for a sink, there’s more on the other side… [...]
Hey, it’s my 30th anniversary…as a Mom!
June 25, 2010My daughter, Heather, doesn’t particularly think it’s a great thing that today is her 30th birthday. So, we’re not going to talk about that…too much. Instead, let’s celebrate the wonderful fact that today is my 30th anniversary of being her Mom! With that in mind, please indulge me some space to talk about her. With the start of her life, [...]
You are the window
June 22, 2010We have probably all experienced this at one time or another. You wash a window and stand back, admiring the shine. Then, later that day, you look at the window again and are taken aback by the smudges you now see. Streaks are crossing what you thought were clean windows. Of course, the smears didn’t just [...]
Find your mud puddle and dance!
June 13, 2010Kids: They dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music. - William Stafford When was the last time you watched a child play in the rain? For that matter, if you’re a parent, when was the last time you allowed your child to play in the rain, jumping through the puddles? Taking it one step [...]
Happy Anniversary, Ken!
June 2, 2010This is my wedding picture. Very 70s, don’t you think? I’m not quite as thin as I was then and my husband, Ken, shaves his head and just shaved the mustache last year. Appearances and wisdom aside, we are still the happy couple you see here. Today is our 31st wedding anniversary. As we’ve approached this date, we’ve [...]
What would you do…
May 14, 2010Numerous people are credited for the quote, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” The idea is that our fears often hold us back from even trying something new. Fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of humiliation. My personal opinion is that there is even a fear of success that [...]
Life as a book
May 1, 2010Yesterday, I attended the funeral mass honoring the spouse of one of my co-workers. It was a really beautiful Irish Catholic service, complete with bagpipes and Celtic hymns of blessing. The deceased had planned it himself after being recently diagnosed with cancer. When it was time for the sermon, the priest began: Every life is [...]
It’s simple. It’s powerful. It’s life.
April 27, 2010In the back of our house, we have a three-sided, covered porch. It’s a great place to sit, relax, and enjoy the yard, sheltered from the sun and rain. We can listen to music out there, or sit and read, or just enjoy each other’s company – or, even some solitude. There are wicker chairs with big [...]
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