In 2021, I kept a log of every new movie, TV show, book, and comic I watched and read throughout the year, as well as notable music and podcasts I listened to. This media diary allowed me to reflect on the various pieces of art and entertainment I consumed,…
Columns
When it comes to rituals, I am religious. Weekly rituals are the shortest, and consist largely of short-term planning. Monthly and quarterly rituals, on the other hand, are more reflective. Instead of updating my calendar and to-do list, I journal about my values. I revisit the goals I set…
Many years ago, I was sitting in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom waiting for the start of a parade. A few feet away, a boy with a disability also was waiting. He was resting in a flat stroller that allowed him to lie down, and a BiPap machine helped him…
Like many others at the turn of the year, I enjoy setting aside some time to reflect on the past 365 days. I’ve never been the goal-setting type at the start of each year, so reflection serves me well. For me, setting goals far in advance can…
“I’m doing good, I’m on some new s**t/ Been saying ‘yes’ instead of ‘no.’” These lyrics opened Taylor Swift’s song “the 1” and her 2020 album “Folklore.” I thought them fitting to open my first column of the new year as well, since…
Our baby Jeffrey snagged his wings in early November 1997, ending the brief active-duty portion of our SMA assignment. A few short months later, my husband, Randy, and I opened a bakery and sandwich shop in one of our county’s tourist hot spots. The business bustled with out-of-towners and locals.
I’ve recently learned about two kinds of achievements in life. One is when you’re up a creek in a bad situation, but miraculously, things seem to resolve on their own. The second is when you have to work extremely hard to achieve your ambitions, and charge through whatever life throws…
“Lord, what will become of me/ Once I’ve lost my novelty?” was the original lyric sung in Taylor Swift’s “Nothing New,” a bonus track she included with her recent remaster of her 2012 album, “Red.” Yet, for some reason I heard her sing,…
As Christmas and the end of the year draw near, I’m reflecting on what 2021 has meant to me. If I look at the past year through a pessimistic lens, I could easily say, “Nothing has changed.” I’m still stuck at home because of the pandemic, and there’s still…
December is replete with giving opportunities in the form of holiday presents, donations, and volunteering with myriad charitable causes, making its designation as National Giving Month apt. It’s a natural extension of Thanksgiving. Virtually anything can be a gift. Any time. *** My husband, Randy, and…
