I don't make friends easily. It takes a while for me to open up. Only time and experience together can draw you in. (I think most people are probably this way.) Once you're my friend, though, I will move heaven and earth to help you and to be a good friend, to be there for … Continue reading I Lost a Friend Today (a sort-of letter)
Category: Philosophy
Dragging Voices
I'm sorry I haven't posted any cute anecdotes and stories from Germany yet. I've been so thought-jumbled, so clogged up word-wise with all of the current events that it's been easier to be silent. It is easier to stay quiet than to speak out about things that need to change, to push back against the … Continue reading Dragging Voices
Slaking the Wanderlust
I just spent a month in Germany, 100% courtesy of my in-laws (who currently reside there). Now I am back in Texas, scrambling to prepare my kids for the new school year. I'm sure there will be multiple posts in the not-too-distant future about that trip. It was wonderful. We traveled near and far within … Continue reading Slaking the Wanderlust
Roiling Love
Y'all. My heart hurts so much right now that I can barely breathe. My husband was flying back over the ocean as the people of Nice, France, were crying a sea of tears. I was on a mountain as people in Dallas were brought low by a sniper firing on cops protecting a peaceful protest. … Continue reading Roiling Love
Advancing on the Tide (from the FB files)
I used to think that being isolated from the world at large would be terrible. I have come to that turning point when I most often crave less interaction, fewer headlines (and less blood boiling all around), not more. I kinda had that pegged for age 65ish, not 33. Huh. And yet...responding less, speaking out … Continue reading Advancing on the Tide (from the FB files)
Clinching (or not) and Clenching
I had to will my jaw to un-clench when I read that the AP reported that Hillary Clinton has "clinched" the Democratic nomination. Never mind that many of her superdelegates pledged their support to her before Sanders was serious competition. Never mind that all of them are free to vote for whomever they wish (they … Continue reading Clinching (or not) and Clenching
Numbers, People, and Empathy Fatigue
I've had something on my mind for a while, but I found an article that puts the general point much more eloquently (and from a more riveting source) than I am able. We are inundated with news about suffering people in large numbers, and after a while, we can become desensitized to all of it. … Continue reading Numbers, People, and Empathy Fatigue
Teacher Appreciation Lifetime
Dear Mr. S., It's Teacher Appreciation Week, and I've been reflecting on the many great educators who have touched my life over the years. I was very fortunate, from grade school through college, to experience the wisdom and kindness of several amazing teachers and professors. The good far outnumbered the mediocre or bad. But it … Continue reading Teacher Appreciation Lifetime
Simple Thanks
Does it ever seem like everything is complicated? Even food -- and the very basic act of eating -- can be so heavily scrutinized...Do you eat too much? Are you eating the wrong foods? Have you tried the latest nutritional craze? Should anyone eat meat? Is your food ecologically sustainable? Did your meal come from … Continue reading Simple Thanks
Beetle Jesus
Do you step around a beetle crawling across your path, or do you keep going? (Sorry, bug, sucks to be you. Shouldn't have been in my way.) It will probably surprise few that I stepped around one this morning (and almost tripped over my own two feet in the process, because I'm super-coordinated before 7am … Continue reading Beetle Jesus
melstery.com 