I Hate Messing Up

  We had a mock powerlifting competition at the gym on Saturday. And with my very first lift, perfection slipped away from me.  My squat went well, the depth was good, and the weight felt great. But, I didn’t wait for the command to rack […]

Four Days and Three Nights

We made reservations and paid in advance for our stay. We eagerly counted down the days until the appointed check-in time. Upon our arrival, we receive a warm welcome.  Four days and three nights, carved out for our 40th anniversary get-away.  Standing on the seashore […]

Are Those Your Real Arms?

What is the most unusual question you’ve heard? I have to admit, “Are those your real arms?” still has me scratching my head.  After all, I’m confident he knew my arms were real, so perhaps there was another reason for his question. This encounter led […]

Are You Christmas?

Have you ever left a retreat eager to share nuggets of wisdom with the world? Could you do it in another language? On the train to Moscow, my husband helped three older ladies with their mattresses. The boldest of the three said, “Zhank you, Sir!” […]

What If I Fail?

“What if I fail?” I asked this question out loud for the first time. Most often I keep close watch over the thoughts in my head. I don’t want to acknowledge thoughts like this. But today? Today I verbalized it. The answer? “Then we’ll know […]

40 Days

Usually, this time of year, I practice 30 days of gratitude. Each day throughout November, I post on social media something I am grateful for that day. However, this year feels different. This year my thoughts keep turning toward how many days there are until […]