“I can lose that chapstick four times in one day, Tom.”
The Fabric Of Her Life
My mom was a t-shirt and shorts or jeans kind of woman until her death at 79 and I have followed in her fashion footsteps. When she left this earth she left behind many tees proclaiming her love of her favorite sports teams, Ocean City, New Jersey and this country….
Hope Fully Awake
“None of us go to bed thinking that we won’t wake up in the morning. No matter what is on our calendar for tomorrow, those seconds before sleep are the most hopeful of our lives.” — Sister Rain
A License To Fries
One out of five people ask me if I can drive when they first learn that I’m legally blind and every time they ask, it’s like they slapped me. I don’t let them see my reaction, but my visceral response takes all my power not to flinch. Is this the…
Expect A Harken Ahead
We all want R-E-S-P-E-C-T. But there’s something else I have been thinking a lot about lately: E-X-P-E-C-T. It’s a tricky word and one we don’t discuss. We aren’t supposed to openly expect things from others, from life, but instead be a gracious receiver of whatever comes our way. When it…
The Last Page Isn’t Always At The Back Of The Book
I’m halfway through the book I’m reading, the latest by one of my favorite authors, and I have found the main character aggravating from the start. I considered giving up after a few chapters but I love this writer so much, I can’t bail on her or her track record. This…
And Seventy-Five Little Blog Posts
The new season of one of my favorite shows started last week. I had saved the final episode of the previous season to remind myself what is going on before watching this premiere. That old episode had aired on February 28th. It struck me that so many big things have happened…
She Left Us Her Best
When my mother-in-law died eight weeks ago, she left a handful of close friends behind, who have always been like family to us “kids”. Her best friend of 65 years, J, was with us the week between mom’s massive stroke and her death. She had found mom in her bed…
Nighttime Neighborhood Listen
I am taking care of my neighbor’s outside cat and every night around 8 o’clock I sit on the porch with her while she has a bedtime snack and headbutts me for loving. I have lived in this place for over 25 years but never sit out front at night….