A Reminder to Be Respectful

I don’t have to agree with you to respect you.You don’t have to agree with me to respect me.We can come from two different backgrounds and generations,have different perspectives, beliefs, and ideas, and still, be respectful of one another.The focus is often on what is different about us,who we love, what we believe, where weContinue reading “A Reminder to Be Respectful”

Before I Had the Language

Before I had the language to understand and articulate, I just had the feeling. I was twelve, sitting in my sixth-grade classroom, looking down at what I had written. These words seem to have come out of nowhere, like magic. I looked around the room and realized no one could tell how I was feeling.Continue reading “Before I Had the Language”

Winter Arrived in October

I watch the snowfall for a third time this month.I can’t remember the last time it snowed three times before Halloween.But here I am, watching it float down once more.It stopped snowing in late May,only to return in early October.Is this just a weird year?The new normal?A sign of how climate change has impacted theContinue reading “Winter Arrived in October”

Something Meaningful

When I was a kid, I used to express my opinion to the other kids as though what I had to say would somehow be useful to them. I was speaking in the way children often copy adults. I didn’t know the gravity of the words I was using. I just knew they made meContinue reading “Something Meaningful”

Close Focus

Lately, my eyes have been focusing differently.Whenever anything is near my eyes, ie a book or phone screen, my eyes will innately focus on that one thing while everything beyond what I’m focusing on blurs. It’s like focusing in portrait mode, the background becomes fuzzy while the words I’m reading become better than crystal clear.ThisContinue reading “Close Focus”

The Power of Mindful Breathing

I have found comfort in my breath. Inhaling and exhaling are often done without thought. The body knows how to breathe without the mind getting involved. But there is something about getting my mind involved with my breathing that has helped calm my thoughts and body. Learning how to belly breathe can change the body’s way ofContinue reading “The Power of Mindful Breathing”

Saturday Drive

I go on a drive looking for my old self.I listen to old music and sing along. Dixie Chicks and Bob Dylan,Songs from my childhood that have bled into my young adult years.The leaves have barely changedAs the season of summer is about to leave for the year.Saturday, 79 degrees, and endless blue skiesGuide myContinue reading “Saturday Drive”

Summer Before Fall

The end of summer is near. I sit in the shade out backand listen to the lastof the summer sounds.Noises of insects soundinglike frogs in the afternoon.Kids are walking homefrom school, leaves are preparing to changecolors soon. What to do?Nothing but observethe small airplane flyingoverhead before reminding myself it is best not to move myContinue reading “Summer Before Fall”

No Fireworks in September

A single sound shoots through the summer night. It’s loud and fast and gone before I can comprehend what is happening. There are no rippling sounds that fade into the darkness. No colors flying across the sky. No screams for help. As I’m writing this on a Sunday afternoon, I’ve only heard this sound twice,Continue reading “No Fireworks in September”

One Year with Abnormally Puffy Eyes

I was in a McDonald’s bathroom somewhere in Iowa.I was exhausted from a weekend full of family time and walking around the Minnesota State Fair.My dad and I had left a few hours before dawn and began the long drive back home.As soon as we got on the road, I instantly fell back asleep, holdingContinue reading “One Year with Abnormally Puffy Eyes”