Sometimes my life seems to mirror the two seasons dominating Wisconsin—winter and road construction. For me, a diagnosis of ovarian cancer raised a stop sign and detoured me into a winter season. Major life events can divert us into the barrenness of winter, loss of a loved one or a job, changes in finances or […]
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. ―Dr. Seuss For many of us, reading non-fiction began in the halls of higher learning, shortly after we mastered “See Jane run.” Depending on our bent, earthworms, ants and mathematical equations may not have endeared us to […]
From early childhood, I have gleaned a wealth of knowledge from reading fiction. I am grateful for the life lessons of Mother Goose. Don’t sit on a wall, or I might fall. If I trudge up a hill to fetch water I might tumble down, especially if I’m with a boy. No matter how tempting, […]
“I have stage 4 cancer,” my sister Tracy said. I groaned as I tightened my grip on the phone. How could this happen to my sister? She goes to the gym everyday. As a cancer survivor and a nurse with an oncology background, I was familiar with stage 4 cancer. But a few days later, […]
Blobs of paint, faceted stones and skeins of thread crafted into masterpieces by my own hands boggle my mind. (See photo). Crafting has enriched my life since childhood. My Craft Journey I embarked on my journey of crafting at the age of five. I begged my mother to teach me how to embroider. She threaded […]
The ball drops in Times Square, announcing the arrival of a new year. For many, promises of new beginnings and dreams dance in their heads. But with the coming of the new, we must say goodbye to the old. For some, the goodbye is bittersweet. The year has been marked by sadness, sorrow and heartache. […]
Turkey, tinsel and Christmas lights cannot fill the emptiness in our hearts after the loss of a loved one. A season to be jolly morphs into a dread of the upcoming holidays. Our hearts are broken. Our holidays will never be the same. How do we cope, let alone celebrate when the vacant chair at […]
In the pursuit of happiness, I have filled my life with many things. Some I regret, some were wonderful gifts, but none filled the void deep within. When I pursued happiness, I discovered that eventually the surge of pleasure dissipated. The negative emotions I attempted to suppress—hurt, grief, sadness, loneliness—once again surfaced, and I felt […]
July, the month we celebrate liberty. We wave our flags, shoot off fireworks, and host cookouts. We proudly blast our national anthem. But sometimes we long for the freedom we sing about in “The Star Spangled Banner”. We may have endured a season of battle, targeted by the lies of the enemy in the pitch […]
March is spiritual wellness month. I don’t believe that it is a coincidence that it usually coincides with the liturgical season of lent, a time when Christians focus on how the death and resurrection of Christ have transformed our lives. We are a triune being—spirit, soul and body, so interrelated that the lack of health […]