Coffee in hand and a quiet table at a favorite cafe greet me on a Monday after a week away. It feels like mid-afternoon. The day is in full swing, perhaps time for an afternoon “pick me up”. Truth be told, it’s actually 7:30 am and the day has only begun. Despite jet lag, the … Read more
Heading on a bus to ski some Spring “powder” a fellow passenger asked, “Are you stoked (about the new snow)?”. With the constant deluge of precipitation falling outside, we indeed felt full of “Stoked-ness”, hoping to experience fresh white stuff on the mountain trails. Although being “stoked” was not necessarily an adjective in our vocabulary, … Read more
Everyday we say “good-bye”. Sometimes it’s a quick wave, “See you later” kind of act. Other times, with family we leave with a hug and kiss. Mostly, however, in our daily lives, departures go unnoticed. We slip out when the meeting is done…we’re finished. Or, at the Cafe, where we indulged in a delicious coffee … Read more
Waiting hours on a runway for “de-icing”, standing in three different lines to check odd-sized luggage or sitting squeezed in a middle seat… these are the times we say to ourselves, “It is what it is”. Logistics might go awry. Like Steve Martin in the movie, “Trains, Planes and Automobiles” we end up in … Read more
Already in this New Year, we’re hyper-focused on a project, caught up in a massive “to do” list or just without energy for social situations. Yet opportunities for meaningful conversation are resplendent despite lifestyles. Nothing to talk about? Not true! In our spinning world, there’s so much to learn about one another. Lackluster feelings trap … Read more
Where To? This is a common question at the start of a new year; although it’s often easier to ask the question than answer it. Shortly after the year begins, however, with the twists and turns of our lives, we shift to reminding ourselves that “Life Is a Journey”, both allegorically and literally. Where To? What … Read more
The day before my son left for college we started practicing our goodbye. I hugged him almost anytime I left his presence. He laughed at my silliness while agreeing that it would make the real “ Au Revoir” easier. We felt grateful to have found humor as a salve for apprehension. Goodbye to cooking family … Read more
When crossing a street we hold tightly to the small hands of our children. We steadfastly want to protect them and bolster their sense of security. Holding tightly is analogous to “standing firm” in conversations. Our children are precious. So are you! Think about a time when you had to communicate something difficult or … Read more
As much as we believe conversation connects us, sometimes our knowledge gets us in trouble! Let me explain! At a community table recently, a couple taught us about how they raised chickens, turkeys and rabbits on their property. We’ve since shared what we learned with others because the “home farming” conversation was interesting and a … Read more
“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” No other sentence stops conversation like this one. The recipient feels unheard. In response we retort: “I can’t move forward with my day (my project, my work, with going to sleep) without having a conversation NOW”. Are you someone who can wait? Most of us can’t. Perhaps … Read more