Life

Interconnected

For the past couple of days, I have heard different stories and reflections about how each one of us is connected to one another. Every decision we make has a ripple affect. Our actions, both good and bad, influence those around us. They may then act in a certain way due to their interaction with […]

That’s Perseverance

My neighbors just returned from another mission trip. They had gone every year, but recently the wife had health issues and they thought perhaps their travelling days were over. However, upon her recovery, they discerned that God was still calling them to the work, even though they are well into their 70’s. This time they […]

Four Birthdays

Today I watched an interview with Mother Olga, a woman who started the order of “Daughters of Mary of Nazareth” in Massachusetts. I was intrigued as she told her story about coming to America from the Middle East as a young woman and having to learn the language and culture. She brought a sense of […]

Not Always Fine

Today I received a Valentine from a good friend that included photos of her and her lovely family. She also shared some of the struggles she is having. This woman has been a mentor to me for many years. Her faith and love for people is inspiring. When she shares the difficult moments, I pray […]

Choose

I think a lot of time I can feel like I am the victim of circumstances – or just a victim in general. Sometimes it seems like I have no control over what is happening in my life, or in the lives of my loved ones. Truth be told – I really don’t have much […]

Placed in My Heart

I watched some of the Olympics tonight. Of course, the athletes are amazing and do things that used to be impossible. And some of the personal stories are heartwarming and heartbreaking. That was the case for Maxim Naumov, an American figure skater whose parents died in the terrible airplane crash last year. He has continued […]

Kindness and Patience

It has been busy with people bringing in their tax information at my new job. Many people take advantage of the online portal, but many do not. Several times today we were visited by older ladies who were recently widowed. They were doing their best to take care of the paperwork. The CPA who I […]

My Safe Haven

Several weeks ago, I had some problems in my bedroom and moved everything out, including myself. I will spare you the details, but know it was a very unpleasant experience. It was particularly disturbing because I have always felt that my room is my one safe haven. Today I decided that things seemed to be […]

New Job Week One

I was very happy today was Friday. It’s been an exhausting week as I started a new job for a CPA doing tax preparation. I have been learning computer systems and processes for organizing and filing paperwork. People are all different, and so is their tax situation. So while the goal of the job is […]

Monopoly and Meekness

Today’s Gospel at Mass, was the Beatitudes from the book of Mark. The priest started his homily by asking if people liked having game nights. He went on to describe how he loved to play Monopoly. Some games went on for hours. I thought about when I used to celebrate Thanksgiving with my son’s in-laws. […]