Essays
-
How Many Times Can You Start Over?
Several times in my life, I’ve had to hit the reset button and start from scratch. It can get exhausting, but it’s also a chance to change or improve the outcome by making different choices. Starting over can be difficult On January 18, 2024, I started over on a better health journey. I had planned my “start over” to coincide with the first of the year, but life and some health issues got in the way. So, that Saturday morning, I stepped on the scale. And I cried. I didn’t like the number staring back at me and knew I had to change my habits to be healthier. Since that…
-
Weddings and Funerals: Changing Relationships with Family and Friends
Most people will say they love their family and closest friends. I’m no different. I love them all dearly. But, like many people, I don’t see them often since we live in different towns, and the COVID-19 Pandemic didn’t help matters. But hasn’t it always been that way? In the olden days, people either stayed in one town their whole lives or ventured off to the wild frontier, only communicating in letters. Back then, moving away might mean never seeing family and friends again. At least in more modern times, we have phones and other electronic ways to communicate—if and when we make time to reach out. Family trees My…
-
I’ve been old (but not necessarily wise) my whole life
I’ve been thinking a lot about aging lately. I just turned 43, and that plants me firmly in middle agedom. But in reality, I think I’ve been old my whole life. Age vs. Maturity Interesting/Funny story: My mom visited a psychic for fun when I was a small child, and I didn’t hear about it until I was older. The lady told my mom some things that were hard to hear, like that my dad would die from the cancer he was fighting. Another thing she told my mom was about me. She described me as a “little adult” who was well-spoken and would grow up to be artistic. The…
