In my day job I manage a church office. One of my responsibilities is to maintain the keys to the buildings. I keep a spread sheet with the key numbers, date the key was issued, and date returned. Recently someone moved away and returned their key through the mail.
Character matters. My parents taught me this—not through words, but by their actions. Our family did not talk a lot. Mealtimes were for eating and other times were reserved for work or relaxation. It seemed to never occur to my family to have discussions. However, by watching how my parents interacted with people, it was evident that character and compassion were important.
Jigsaw puzzles are a way my husband and I relax. We are not always working on one. Sometimes months go by when we are not involved with a puzzle. When we are enjoying them, we may work three or four puzzles in succession.
Welcome to a New Year . . . I quit making New Year’s resolutions years ago after always having the same three: eat better, exercise, loose weight. I finally figured it wasn’t worth it to decide that on January 1 I would commit to those resolutions when I obviously had not done so in the past.
How many self-help books do you have on your shelves? I have generally steered away from such books, although I do have several. The question is: If self-help books really help, then why do people keep writing them? Every year there seems like a new flurry of “ideas” are touted by the latest media gurus. I am not saying they can’t be useful or helpful. I am sure they must be helpful to a degree. I have one that I keep trying to get rid of, but I can’t quite seem to put it in the donate pile. It is a book that helped me to move forward at a point when I was unable to do so.
Some days, weeks, even months can feel monotonous and uninspired. Sometimes it is as if we are walking around in a daze–or, maybe it’s the feeling of having stepped into a deep, dark hole. If our creative senses are tired, often, all we need is something to give us focus, to inspire us, to invoke ideas—and, to help us find inspiration.
I have read that according to etiquette experts it is acceptable to say “Happy New Year” for the first seven to ten days of the year. I admit, it seems odd to me to use that phrase anytime after January 1. I am rethinking that this year. I wish you a Happy New Year!
Scientists say that on average it takes sixty-six days for a new behavior to become automatic—it can depend on the person and the circumstances. In some instances, experts say it can take as long as 254 days for people to form a new habit. I confess that consistency has never been my strong point. However, over a hundred days ago I committed to composing music every day.
Too many mass shootings have happened this year. One is too many—and any number is dizzying and makes everything else seem unimportant. Issues of life and death put everything else in perspective. Sometimes I don’t feel inspired to write. Sometimes I have so many feelings it is impossible to write about them. Why bother?
As I looked outside this morning, I could not ignore the beauty in the awakening foliage and flowers. Try as I might to look away, to remain in a somber mood, and believe that all is lost—I could not stay in that mental space. Spring can’t be ignored.
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