“You’ve tried to draw attention to your needs. Subtly at first. An occasional sigh. Perhaps a few tears. Even a rare outburst, which really isn’t you, failed to ignite a concerned response. Your typically sunny disposition was increasingly difficult to maintain in light of the incidents and accidents occurring. At some point the attempts to answer to these episodes of omission stopped, and you witnessed deliberate acts of carelessness and...

“Cabbage – cabbage plant – colewort – collard – collard greens – variety of loose-leafed vegetables – collate – to collect and compare carefully – collect – to bring into one body or place – collage – artistic composition of fragments of materials – collaborate – to work jointly with others – collaboration – a meeting of minds … “c”s + “b”s + “l”s  equaling thoughts of today coming together… woven into one gentle message.” To your...

“T-shirts to toques; sandals to boots; holidays to holiday season; green scapes to snowscapes; blue skies to grey; hours of light to sudden darkness; ice cream to hot tea; cool sheets to cozy duvet; walks galore to snuggling on the sofa; bright blooms to soft candlelight; air conditioning to heated seats; sought-after patios to a place by the fire; in the water to on the ice; marshmallows to chestnuts; wood sprites to sugarplum fairies;...

“You’ve been shaped, primed, schooled, conditioned, and programmed since infancy to be who you are today. From parents to teachers, ministers to doctors, coaches to friends, partners to media, everyone has had a finger in your pie. Any of that pie still uniquely yours? Or is it all gobbled up by others – eating and saying they know best who you are? Are you cherry, blueberry, pecan or apple? Maybe you’re just discovering you’re none of those....

“Searching, questioning, and analyzing aspects of your life is worthwhile especially in times of crisis and significant decision making. Perpetually seeking out answers and wondering “why” can knock the stuffing out of you and the life –you are living. It becomes a chore: a job you are doing for you don’t know how long… Let things unfold the way they will, and they will. Allow yourself to breathe in the simple pleasures that are found in...

“Sincerity is authenticity warmed by a loving heart. It needs no attention but is immediately noticed when in the room. No strutting, pontificating or posturing – simply being. If asked to speak, a soft wisdom permeates the words, and the listener calms down, reassured by its message. As silently as it made its entrance, sincerity slips away, only to reappear when called upon like an angel in the night. Yes, Sincerity is the big sister. “Of...