The shadows of the autumn leaves dance across the blinds in my office. I enjoy this extraordinary moment of now. With the changing of the season, I revel in the colors and textures – reds, oranges, golds – blended with the green leftovers of summer. The crunch of tiny acorns under my walking shoes, a […]
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Dear Mom, This week, a thank you card will be delivered to you. The card is from me, your daughter – Rebecca. You may wonder why I sent you a thank you card. October is my birthday month, and it’s okay, Mom, that you didn’t remember. Sometimes I, too, can hardly believe another year has
The doctor’s eyes filled with empathy tears as he handed me the Kleenex box. “You know,” he said, “no one – not even the medical community – knows how to explain miscarriage. No one truly understands what happens to the woman or how she feels. “For whatever reason, God chooses to take these babies early.”
Have you wondered about the difference between a memorial and a monument? During the winter of 1995, we toured Washington, D.C. My son and I stood in freezing drizzle as we waited for the Metro subway, then we joined a line of shivering tourists outside the White House. In spite of the weather, excitement traveled
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What could possibly be beautiful and terrible at the same time? During our recent family vacation in New Mexico, we noticed how many crosses were sold. It seemed that every store, every boutique sold some version of a cross. The ones that surprised us most were fashioned out of plain old sticks, often tied together
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God has never answered my question, and I seriously doubt that he will. However, he is kind enough to let me rage against him, scribble in my journal and cry out my frustrations. “Why have you let Alzheimer’s take over my mother’s brain? I still need her.” I want her to tell me how to
Some things we just have to go through by ourselves. Although we enlist the prayers of other saints and often feel the power of their intercession, we still have to go through it alone. Somehow we must find our own courage to deal with the trials and struggles of life. Yes…God is with us. He
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Several years ago, during a time of great struggle, God sent the geese. I was driving to work and fighting discouragement, when a flock of geese flew right over my truck. They were so beautiful, so fluid in their movement and so determined in their purpose – I felt encouraged. I knew that the same
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Every few months, my local library has a Friends of the Library Book Sale. Although I really don’t NEED any more books, just try to keep me away from a sale where I can buy a book for 50 cents. Recently, I joined other book worms at our local sale and soon filled my arms
When life unravels into Alzheimer’s or dementia, it’s important for caregivers to carry survival tools. As I speak in various venues throughout the metro and beyond, I share these survival tools.This week, I had the opportunity of sharing these tips with professionals at the Chem Council in Kansas City. With 43 million caregivers in the
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