Cry Laugh Heal

Renewing Friendships

June 12th, 2013
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Academy of the Holy Cross
Yearbook 1972
Making friends for the world to see
Let the people know you got what you need
           ~ Elton John

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to catch up and renew friendships with two women who went to high school with me.

Both women are incredibly talented and very smart: one is an internationally respected sculptor and the other is a retired teacher/photographer. They both look great and we easily fell back into conversation about our lives since high school graduation which was (unbelievably!) many decades ago.

We lost … Read More

Life’s Garden of Loved Ones

June 11th, 2013
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Two tropical storms have moved through the Washington, DC area recently and we are getting more than our usual dose of rain.  Not complaining because I like the rain.  It’s good for our gardens and everything feels clean after a good downpour. This summer I am trying to pay more attention to the plants in my yard which I guess I think of as my garden even though they are not all planted in one contained space.  I planted some lettuce, rosemary and basil along with geraniums and marigolds.  Watching things grow is hopeful! As you wake-up and embrace today’s… Read More

The Uncertain Path of Newtown’s Mourning Parents

June 10th, 2013
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It is rare for a national newspaper to begin a story on its Sunday front page that continues to run for five pages of with lots of pictures and is dedicated to the subject of grief. But that is just what The Washington Post did yesterday and Eli Saslow, who wrote and reported the devastating story, and Linda Davidson, who photographed the compelling pictures for the story, deserve a standing ovation for bringing much needed attention to what life is now like for the Barden family of Newtown, Connecticut, a family in the throes of raw, searingly painful grief as… Read More

Love Somebody — Singers From The Voice

June 8th, 2013
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Melanie Martinez, Mike Squillante and other singers  from NBC’s The Voice Hello Saturday! I’ve got a lot to do today and only so much time to get it done. I bet you also have a full plate today too! So let’s pump up the volume and get it going with this new video a friend sent me yesterday featuring the energetic and talented singers from Season 3 of NBC’s The Voice singing “Love Somebody” at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City:  Mike Squillante, Melanie Martinez, Bryan Keith, Andriana Louise and Suzanna Choffel: http://bit.ly/TheVoice3_LoveSomebody Thanks guys for the energy!!… Read More

A Daily Om

June 7th, 2013
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We all need a mental health break, don’t we?  I just didn’t expect to find one downtown in a city park. While walking down the street yesterday during lunch hour in the downtown area of the nation’s capitol, I spied a large white tent set up across the street in a park known as McPherson Square.  The tent reminded me of one of those large white tents that people use at outdoor wedding receptions.  I could only see the back of the tent so, ever the curious one, I walked over to check it out. Somebody must be promoting something,… Read More

Digging Deep

June 6th, 2013
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I have previously written about people I know who are fighting the good fight against cancer.  Three of them at this point are in good health while one is gearing up for the fight of his life. He is getting ready for surgery next week and after that he enters an intense, aggressive program aimed at totally killing this sucker in its tracks.  He has an amazing attitude towards this scary situation and I admire his calm and even demeanor.   Put in the same situation, I know I would not be faring so well and I don’t think I… Read More

Unwanted Care

June 5th, 2013
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How do you try to take care of someone when they don’t want you to? I’m sure you must know a person you care about and perhaps even love who doesn’t want you to help them even though it is obvious that help is very much needed. You understand the frustration right? It’s the frustation of no matter how hard you try to offer various kinds of support, you never are able to do the right thing, the thing that will make them happy. This is what I know I can do: I call on the telephone, I listen, I… Read More

Congratulations to The Class of 2013!

June 4th, 2013
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After (hopefully) fours years of hard, hard work and spending thousands and thousands of dollars on college tuitions, remarks by a notable person — whether an author, celebrity, scientist, politician or even the First Lady or the President of the United States — definitely seems in order this time of year before degrees are handed out at universities across the nation. For the parents, relatives and friends of the graduate, and even those of us who have already graduated, whether from a university, a community college or the School of Street Smarts, the commencement speech is also a time to… Read More

Slow Dance

June 3rd, 2013
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I find this poem called Slow Dance to be nourishment for my soul. It helps me reset and focus my energies and set out once again on this magical journey called life so that I can appreciate the beauty and blessing that are given to me. Instead of powering through my days and nights, this poem reminds me to get out of the fast lane and slow down and really and truly focus on the wonder around me. Slow Dance Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or listened to rain slapping the ground? Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic… Read More