I was dragging. The clean laundry laid on my unmade bed. The red suitcase on the floor waited for me to unpack it. I had Pandora playing on my computer and was trudging through organizing Christmas bags, boxes, and bows when my phone rang. I was delighted to see it was my friend Carolyn, with…
Category: The People I Thank
On Gifts
I believe that there are certain gifts we’ve all been given. Call them talents, strengths, whatever. We’ve all got some. (If you don’t think you have any, please contact me! I’ll help you figure out what they are. No one should go through life thinking they don’t have gifts.) One of the things that makes…
Thank you, Liz
“I’d rather you give me memories than gifts,” I told my sister Liz. I explained that experiences meant more to me than “stuff” – unless the “stuff” was homemade, of course. Liz had taken a few pottery classes in high school and made some beautiful pieces. I envisioned owning a whole set of plates, bowls,…
A Tribute
It was a full page ad. The woman wore funky glasses and an angled, blunt haircut. Her posture, her smile, the sparkle in her eyes emanated a happiness, a confidence, and a freedom I wanted. But none of that is what drew me in. As I flipped through the catalog for the Boston Center for…
A Day of Freebies
“You don’t happen to have any more change, do you?” I asked the guy filling his parking meter behind mine. I had decided to lighten my load of change into a tip jar at a local coffee shop earlier, which didn’t bode well for my current situation: parking at a meter in DC to meet…
A Stop Along the Way
As we fiddled with the buckle across the toes on a pair of sandals, I said to the saleswoman “Well, once we get it right, I hope I never have to change them again.” “If you do, you could just come back,” she responded. “Well, I’m actually moving to North Carolina,” I said. “Oh really? …
Letting Go
“What’s the sob sorry you keep telling over and over – to yourself, to your friends. You know, the one about why your life isn’t working out the way you want it….” I don’t remember his exact words, but everyone in the room knew what he meant. We all had that story – running on…
A Place to Stay
I explained that I wouldn’t have a home of my own to return to as I’m letting my apartment go on July 15. “So you won’t be back at all for a year?” she asked. “Oh, I’ll be back. For visits. For Christmas.” “And after the year is over?” “Well, then I might come back. …
On Listening to Your Body
After noticing her dog was keeping an eye on us, our host explained, “He knows he gets fed at 8, 12 and 5. So if it’s near those times, he stays close to me – reminding me it’s time. It’s amazing how their bodies just know.” And I thought, “Our bodies know too….we just aren’t…
Thank You
I was thinking I should attend a Memorial Day ceremony or parade today. And, as usual, God gave me what I asked for. Instead of taking my usual right turn toward the library on my morning walk, I went left towards the firehouse. From the open second-floor windows, I could hear the local bagpipers practicing. …
RenaissanceRebecca 