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Looking Forward

Too often, when they become adolescents, our children feel they must decide on what they want to be when they grow up. Adolescence is just too young for somebody to decide what they will do for a lifetime. Setting goals and self-imposing rules at such a young age can hinder a young person's growth more than help it.

The Certainty of Uncertainty

between the devil and the deep blue sea
Photo Credit: Lubo Minar on Unsplash

One of life's ongoing torments is the certainty of uncertainty. Every decision we make comes with at least two, if not multiple choices, often leaving us between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Birth Day

newborn baby
photo credit:, @dezart

We are conceived in darkness.
Sperm meets egg and growth begins
in sweet mystey of Mother’s womb.
A place of warmth where new sensations,
sound and touch are realized.

When Baby Cries

Mother with crying baby

Babies cry for all sorts of reasons. Hunger. Thirst. Discomfort. Sometimes just to exercise their lungs. When we brought my first-born home, he cried almost constantly.

Barn Burners

match flame

When my children were young, I learned that sometimes you literally have to have a fire lit under you to appreciate how dear those close to you are. We moved to the country looking for a safer, less stressful life for ourselves and our two young children. Our rural Minnesota house sat well back from the road. There was ample room for Nicki, our three-year old, and Lance, our six year old, to play safely on the five acre plot of land that surrounded our house.

Fear of Heights May be a Physical Condition: BPPV

Ferris wheel

I don't know why or when it happened, but I don't remember a time when I wasn't afraid of heights. Even so, I do remember diving from the "high" board at our municipal swimming pool and I did enjoy riding the Ferris wheel and roller coaster when the carnival came to town. As I grew older, though, the fear became stronger, until finally I had no choice but to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground.

The Importance of Second Opinions:
A Lazy Eye Experience

doctor giving advice

For many years, I was intimidated by doctors. I grew up thinking the doctor was always right. I have a crooked little finger that resulted from a doctor telling my mom it wasn't broken. It apparently was. It wasn't until I had children of my own that I learned the value of getting a second opinion when you have any question at all about your doctor's diagnosis or the treatment he or she may recommend.

Too Many Strays —Too Soft a Heart

abondoned dog

Country life was the cat's meow—. Really! It was everything we expected and a lot we didn't expect. Day to day, we never knew who we would find at the end of our driveway, on our doorstep, or even tied to a tree. During the years we lived in the country, there was a steady stream of tail chasers and tail waggers that were dependent on the softness of our hearts.

An Update: Lifting the Nicotine Fog

smoker at graveyard

A nicotine fog is more than just smoke that fills a room, it's a fog that clouds your brain. Nicotine fools you into believing that although you want to quit, you can't. The bad news is that there are a lot of cigarette substitutes on the market today that keep the addiction going.

Punishment vs. Discipline:
Are You a Parent Bully?


Punishment, either mental or physical beats up a person or brings them down. Discipline teaches self control. Parents weren't meant to bully their children with punishment. We are meant to teach our children to learn social norms and control themselves within those norms.

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