The Nightmare Came True

Remember not too long ago when we could go on a vacation?

Even in current times, I went on vacation.

A “vacation.”

Let me clarify. My husband was in his busy season at work. We’ve been confined together for so long that even the dog needs some alone time. Everyone was sick of being stuck together and longed for a change, even if it was only a change in location. Hard as we tried, we couldn’t rent an Airbnb anywhere.

We all longed for some semblance of normalcy. My Dad extended an invitation to spend some time with him at his vacation home. He also invited other family members, and all of them had been safe. Everyone had taken precautions, and no one had gone back to an office setting. We had all been “safe” in quarantine, so we agreed to gather with other family members who had taken the same precautions. …

My mom passed away recently. Her unexpected death has me considering all kinds of interactions, most especially those involving my kids. My kids are two of the most important people in the world to me. The type of relationship I have with them is one I continuously strive to improve. As parents, we often wonder if we’re doing the job right and how we can perform better. In short, the question in the back of our minds is: How can I raise them well and not mess them up?

We feel invincible as we go through life. Bulletproof. Like nothing can stop us, but death creeps in when you least expect it and steals life without a care, thought…

If thoughts are like raindrops, how will you maintain them? One study says humans have around 6,200 thoughts each day.

I woke up to the sound of rain falling outside. The longer and harder the water falls from the sky the heavier, more solemn, more threatening it sounds. What first sounded gentle and cleansing is now blaring like an affront.

You can let the rain assault you or you can keep going. Some days the rain will feel gentle and nurturing. Other days it will feel like abuse. Some days it is a mixture of both, depending on the season.

When rain turns to sleet and hail it can beat you up, and when it mixes together with water at the right temperature and is maintained, you can find yourself trapped in a solid sheet of ice. …

It was an ordinary Sunday. We’d hustled to get to church and slipped into our seats just as service was beginning. Early in the service, we shake hands with those around us as a greeting. That was a time when we could gather and shake hands without any concern. Imagine my surprise when I turned around to shake hands with Matthew McConaughey.

I recognized him immediately and tried not to let on, but considering that I’d not been in this close proximity to someone as famous as him as I’d been to any other celebrity, my hands went clammy, my cheeks went flush, and my heart beat faster. …

Some days you open your eyes and wonder if you have enough strength to make it through the day. Your eyes open with energy already waning for the day ahead. Your resolve is low, and you wonder if you have enough strength to put your feet on the floor and take the next steps to do anything productive. Do you have enough stamina to survive today? Harvard Health says you’re drained because you’ve lived in a perpetually heightened state of anxiety, causing fatigue.

You’re probably familiar with the “survival of the fittest” thinking attributed to the naturalist Charles Darwin. The Darwinian thoughts gave rise to the term natural selection. But, the groundwork for the thoughts had nothing to do with the selection of genes or the strongest genomes overpowering weaker ones. Fish, tadpoles, and pond scum often come to mind when considering the term, but they weren’t on the mind of the man who conjured up the idea. …

Each year I am amazed at the number of books an individual can read in one year’s time. On occasion, I’ve had a goal to read a certain number of books each month, but seldom am I able to keep up with the goal on a consistent basis. Whether you read for pleasure, learning purposes, or perhaps as an escape from everyday life, we know that reading is good for us. Real Simple says:

“Reading puts your brain to work, and that’s a very good thing. Those who who engage their brains through activities such as reading, chess, or puzzles could be 2.5 …

First, I am sorry if you had a rotten year last year.

If you entertain my apology, I think I may be to blame. See, I always, I mean always eat cabbage on New Year’s Day, and I’m so sorry to say, it didn’t happen last year. And last year was likely the craziest year I’ve lived so far.

Funny thing is, lots of other people are saying that last year was one of the worst for them too. Did you forget to eat cabbage? The idea of eating cabbage on New Year’s Day is a superstition my mother handed down, and it seems to vary a bit based on geographic location. …