Culture | Personal Growth

Dear Chuck

The small acts of kindness from people, even those you may not know well, provide a lasting impression.  I’ve been thinking of one particular person lately – Chuck. Chuck was the copy machine service man for our office.  We only saw him when we were experiencing a problem with the copier or scanner.  I received …

Personal Growth | Writing

Flexing my Writing Muscles

The only unofficial New Year’s goal I have made this year is to strengthen my writing. I haven’t even said that out loud until now. In my head, however, I vowed to write more, to write each day, no matter what. That writing can be a post on Twitter, a repeat of a quote I …

Parenting | Personal Growth | Writing

Swim Away

This is a 750-word non-fiction short story I wrote and submitted to several publications in the summer of 2013. Title: Swim Away “Mommy, I want to ride in the cart too!” my five year old shouts in my ear. I struggle to lift all forty six pounds’ solidness of her body. I grunt and plop …

Personal Growth

Be Awesome in 2015!

Here is some good advice for 2015 (with a little help from Barney Stinson / aka Neil Patrick Harris’ character from “How I Met Your Mother”): Be awesome! I came across this photo and quote this morning.  I loved it.  And I love the show too.  From a writer’s stand point, it’s such a unique, …

Personal Growth | Writing

A Short but Wonderfully Sweet Note

I received the nicest note in the mail about two weeks ago.  It was a total, wonderful surprise from a dear person in my writer’s group.   This is what it said: It was a very short note but those three bullet point statements were so touching.  A wonderful woman, Joetta told me that that I …

Personal Growth

Have Perserverance and Celebrate Success

Sometimes life can throw you a few curve balls.  But if you keep hitting and continue practicing your form, you will eventually knock that ball out of the park.  With determination and perseverance, any one of us can achieve success. I go through bouts of pessimism before I find my optimism again.  This week I …

Home Life | Personal Growth

Faithful Friends

Last week I was feeling down in the dumps and rather stressed.  One day I just completely lost it and fell apart.  I picked myself up rather quickly though with the support of my family and the kindness of a few friends too. I have a few close, local friends that are absolutely wonderful.  One …

Home Life | Personal Growth

Thought for the Day

Why is it that I can manage a household, two young kids, a tough job that keeps me busy, cooking meals from scratch and a whole lot more, but I cannot properly shave my legs for anything in this world??  I always end up with a ‘patch of grass’ somewhere on the back of my …