Good morning... Up in the middle of this late June night, I water our thirsty plants and I take pictures of the waning moon. At age 39, at home in the care of hospice, saturated with the love of family and friends, the vibrant life of Elizabeth is also waning away from this world. [...]
Good morning... We enjoyed a slow, low-key day after my parents' joyful Music Man performance at their senior living community in Ohio. Waking late. Talking over breakfast. Enjoying a relaxing morning together. Going to an appointment with the eye doctor. Grateful for good news, "Everything looks great." Stopping by Dairy Queen to order an ice cream cake for [...]
Good morning... I walked by a little purple-white pansy peeking up through a lush sea of green grass. With rows and rows of neatly placed flowers looking on from a nearby bed, this one persistent pansy somehow appeared in a place it was not planted. Bold. Beguiling. Beautiful. Now I explore the meaning behind this dainty delight. The [...]
Good morning... During our final Wordless Prayer Card making session on the third Wednesday in April, one woman made a card for Elizabeth, the 38-year-old wife and mom of three who is facing the spread of her advanced colon cancer. Elizabeth is the daughter-in-law of our dear friend, Joan, who is a loyal member of our Friday morning [...]
Good morning... I open up this precious card to read these handwritten words: "Dear Sue, I found these cards at the bottom of the mailing box that your wooden hands came in. I'm sorry they were overlooked! Thank you also for another wonderful semester of learning and loving with you." Similar to the original "surrender" card, which I [...]
Good morning... She emailed me after yesterday's post, It's Okay Not To Be Okay. "Upon waking today, holding tight on the 3rd anniversary of my husband’s death," she wrote, "I read your message with the open hands. Then, lo and behold, Henri Nouwen is telling me to unclench my fists and let love enter. I pray with open [...]
Good morning... "A dear friend sent this to me," she texted yesterday. "Thought it was too lovely not to share with my other dear friend Sue!" With too many cooks in my mind's chaotic kitchen, I opened the blog post. Breathing. Focusing. Taking time. I fed on calming wisdom. ****** A New Prayer for Anxiety by Esther Liu, [...]
Good morning... My prayers are sent forth to the families and friends of the two young people who died this week at the University of Georgia. A young woman was murdered while on a run in a familiar area and a young man hung himself in a freshman dorm. Classes were canceled yesterday as the whole community processes [...]
Good morning... I loved overhearing my parents' conversation in the kitchen as I got ready in the living room for my mom's surgery day. "Well, I had my first surgery on Labor Day and now hopefully my last reversal surgery on President's Day," astutely said my 85-year-old mom. "You can tell I was a kindergarten teacher, always moving [...]
Good morning... These final words of a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks greeted us as we entered the Sonya Clark exhibit at the High Museum of Art last Saturday. "...we are each other's harvest we are each other's business we are each other's magnitude and bond." A group of us from our Sunday afternoon class went to take part [...]
