Mindfulness and boiling water

You might read this title and think of the old adage, "A watched pot never boils." But that's not my topic, though it is turning out to be true during this couple of weeks. You see, I'm having to boil water for drinking and cooking because of E. coli in some of our area's water …

Father’s Day Gratitude

Another Father's Day comes around, and my Facebook feed is full of photos of fathers. That prompts me to add my contribution to this day of gratitude for fathers. My father was steady and dependable. He was kind and nonjudgmental. He contributed to his community through volunteer service in a variety of roles. Daddy has …

Using Facebook as part of a mindfulness practice

"How in the world can Facebook be any part of mindfulness?!!" you might ask. Although Facebook is often criticized as a waste of time, I find it can be helpful beyond keeping me current with friends' lives. You see, I have thoughts and emotions about what I see posted. And I try mindfully to watch those …

Strong, Independent Mothers Raise Strong, Independent Daughters

Though I could hardly write a better Mother's Day tribute about my mother than I did three years ago (here), this week I've had strong, independent women on my mind. So that's my topic this year. How did my mama raise my sister and me to be strong, independent women? It wasn't by saying those …

Good parents are artists

One thing I really like about Facebook is seeing photos of families. Photos of anticipated births and of newborn babies, of children, of parents with children, of families in their daily lives, of families on vacation and at holidays. And one of the things I like most about that is watching people I know - especially …

Surgery & Gratitude

If you want the short version of this post, here it is: My hysterectomy on March 7th went well. My doctor found fibroids which looked benign. The pathology verified that they were benign, as was the endometriosis. Here is the longer version . . . My sister came down a couple of days before my …

Surgery: Fear and Trust

Next Tuesday I'm set for surgery. A complete hysterectomy. And what I'm feeling is paradoxical. I feel both fear and trust. Both swirl in my thoughts and feelings. How to be present to that? I know that being present is essential. The last big surgery I had was a little over five years ago, a …