On a day meant to celebrate the heart, we're encouraged to purchase gifts as the key to true love. To embrace lovers, family, or to better love ourselves, the media insists we must buy just the right ticket to harmony. Culture gluts our media with advertisements for the best ways…
Valentines Day looms on the calendar next week. Some look forward to lavishing romantic gifts or excursions on their dear love. Those without an amorous partner might share hugs with family or friends. Others will eschew the red and pink holiday and escape by viewing action, horror, or sci-fi films. With…
Our relocation to a new place stank. No, literally. Sour odors and musty smells haunted me from every corner of the house. I scrubbed until my eyes nearly swelled shut. After hiring someone to help clean, I found more layers of dirt lingering. The dust kept showing up. Baseboards, French doors,…
We moved last week. When other people move, change jobs, add to their family, etc, the shift seems inconsequential. Until it happens to you. Over the past week, I realized that heaving a tough load over an uneven threshold offers a very different perspective than watching someone else do it. Physical,…
As the world packs away holiday trimmings, mankind shares a collective sigh. Though this sound resonates with similar depth across the globe, the hearts behind it express a multitude of emotions. Fond memories join the breath with a smile. Sorrow and heartache offer the opposite sentiments. Some of us hate…
As children, we fidgeted through the advent season. Those ribbon-locked packages peeked from under our Christmas trees as if teasing us. Some of us, not to be named, might have failed this test of patience and suffered the consequences. Christmas tests our patience in more serious ways as we mature. The…
Have you ever struggled with transitions and stress? If shifts in life wrack you off balance, you're not alone. Moving from known to unfamiliar challenges us all. Discomfort in times of transition is a normal part of the human experience. We're wired to enjoy our security and feel apprehensive when circumstances…
Got stress? Worry and pressure rage around us at epidemic levels. The American Psychological Association reports, "More than one-third of adults (34 percent) report that their stress increased over the past year. Only 16 percent report decreased stress in the past year. Worse yet, the American Heart Association and Center for…
Got books? If you're an avid reader, your brain and heart will thank you. Studies indicate we bolster the emotions and mind almost any time we read. Certain books target our emotional and cognitive well-being, to pack on extra benefits. As if we needed another reason to crack open a book.…
I'm a book-hoarder, often found walled inside mountains of literature while pecking away at new manuscripts. The stuff of writing may seem like an isolating factor. Yet, reading can connect us to others. Some works serve to improve our relationships. Today's video highlights the following ways we can read to…