When I was learning to drive, I had a driving teacher with a very dry sense of humor. He had a handful of favorite sayings, along with a very distinctive way of saying them. One of them was, “Check your mirrors. See the big picture.” He always had a pen in hand, with which he […]
Reconciling today with the good old days
I always look back on my college days as perpetually fall – just the beauty of the leaves changing colors, the temperatures cool, the hope and excitement of the fall season, as well as the season of life that college was for me. I remember the midnight giggles with my roommate and all of the […]
Quarantined with Jane Austen
Nearly two months ago, we went into lockdown mode here in Virginia, due to Covid-19. As I had already been in a sort of quarantine with my knee injury since January (only going out for short errands where very little walking was required), I wondered how I would make it through more staying at home, […]
In pursuit of wonder
As a very cautious, rule-following teenager, the prospect was a bit out of my comfort zone. A group of friends wanted to go mudding. Having grown up in the country, I had seen muddy trucks my whole life, but I had never been in one when it acquired all of that mud. A guy in […]
Why perseverance is more important than success
It was one ordinary moment out of one ordinary day. It was 10:30 in the morning, and I decided to put some ingredients in the crockpot for dinner. As I was opening cans and draining liquid, going from the sink to the counter to the crockpot, I accidentally knocked over a glass that was sitting […]
You don’t have to want to
It’s the constant refrain of young children (and also not-so-young adults more than we care to admit): “But I don’t WANT to!” I don’t want to go in to work today. I don’t want to deal with this difficult person or situation yet again. You mean my family expects dinner again? Didn’t I just finish […]
When remembering brings pain
That morning, she chose her outfit with care, down to just the right jewelry. She took so long fixing her hair, she had to be reminded that it was time to leave for school. She rushed out the door, bulging backpack, lunch bag, and binder all ready to go. Her biggest obstacle of the day […]
A question worth asking
Anyone who has ever been around preschoolers is very familiar with their favorite word (other than no, which also ranks way up there): Why? They are just so curious that they want to know how every little thing works. And it’s adorable. Unless you’re tired or not feeling well or it’s the end of a […]
Fresh hope for weary vessels
We walked down the aisle full of binders, searching for just the right one to house my latest writings. “It needs to be a really nice one, since it will hold something so important to you,” my then-boyfriend urged. “Get the best one they have!” And so I did. It was, after all, just a […]
Slow and steady
I would hear her calling me through the intercom system. So I would put down the basketball I was furiously dribbling or the book I was currently devouring or the homework I was trudging through, and I would go to help my grandma. You see, Grandma Rosey had Parkinson’s Disease, and she lived with us […]
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