“When one door closes, another door opens.”  I have always found this expression to be so comforting.  Even when it takes awhile to determine what door has opened and where, it always seems to be true.

I extend my thanks again for your support over these two years of blogging.  I have received so many kind and thoughtful responses, which I deeply appreciate.  As the “Transitions . . . where endings meet beginnings” blog ends, so begins the monthly newsletter, “Still Waters:  Tools and Resources for Living Deeply.” (more…)

I recently heard of a friend’s mother’s dying process.  “It’s just awful,” my friend said, “they’ve got hospice in the house and she’s just got a few days left.”  Meanwhile, I learned that this elderly woman is surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren, all of whom have had an opportunity to share their love. (more…)

“I vow to love and honor you in sickness and in health.”  I blinked back tears as Dan and I watched the lovebirds celebrate their new year’s wedding.  And then, just as I was launching my own new year . . . I got sick.

Not terribly sick, but a monstrous head cold that has sapped the energy out of my first week of 2011.  I’m not a nice convalescent, I admit it.  I lament and moan and throw tissues on the floor like a big ol’ baby.  I sink into a pit of mucus-induced despair. (more…)

Here we are on the cusp of another year – time for my annual contemplative “Hope and Cope Report.”  Rather than making a stale New Year’s resolution, this is my tradition of intentional reflection.With 4 simple columns marked “Knowns”, “Unknowns”, “Hopes”, and “Surprises,” I fill in the blanks of the past year and create a new sheet with my best predictions for the coming year. (more…)

Uncertainty is in the air in my house.  Out of our five children, four of them will be attending new schools next year.  The amazing thing is that we have no idea what schools.  What college, what high schools, what elementary school?  We’ve pretty much got the educational span covered. (more…)