In life sometimes there are things we want to do so bad, and then we start to do them only to find that about two-thirds to three-fourths of the way through what we are doing isn't anything like we'd thought it'd be. As a result, we realize we need to stop without finishing. Has this ever happened to you before in your life? It has with me, only I realized this when I had completed the full first draft of Mari's book. The book I'd written was a complete biography of Mari's life as well as some … [Read more...]
Day 147: Themes
When we write, do we have a theme we write about right off the bat or do we just start to write and have no clue what that theme is. Most of the time when I'm writing on this site, I have no clue what the theme will be when I begin to write my thoughts down. It's not until after I've written everything down and then thought about what was just written I realize what that theme was. It's how I decide to come up with a title. On my 365 day writing journey, the theme each day has basically been … [Read more...]
Dedicating this to My Daughter in Heaven
I think most people who visit this site and read what I write know that this site was started as a dedication website in honor of my daughter who left this earth for heaven on July 16, 2008. I've been so blessed as a result of this decision. When I go to write something for on here, it almost always ends up being about my daughter somehow, the tragedy, or how I've been doing along the way. I've been very open about my journey over the past five years. I want to be true to who I am and that … [Read more...]
Serving the ONE
I can remember growing up and going to church when I was in high school and hearing about the missionaries that serve around the world. However, I could never pictures me as one. You basically pick up your life and go to a new place, often times a new culture, and have to start fresh somewhere. It just wasn't my thing and I guess God never called me to be one as my husband never wanted to be one either. The last 20 years we've been together have always had the army apart of them. Even the short … [Read more...]
Joining the Army in High School
When I was 17 and a Junior in high school, an announcement during my 2nd period class one day said that a U.S. Army recruiter would be in the counseling area at lunch if anyone was interested in talking to him. For some, reason it did. Now you might be asking why. I have no earthly idea. Had I ever thought about joining the army before that day? Not once. Never crossed my mind. So at lunchtime I went and talked to the guy. Within a couple of weeks I had signed up on April 19, 1991. That day … [Read more...]
Working with Your Own Children
I feel honored to say that I get to work with my niece/daughter almost everyday. I have the privilege of being able to homeschool her. We spend more time together now than I could ever have been able to when I was working full-time. I mean, I ended up changing my schedule so that we would drop her and her brother off at the before school childcare program that was on Fort Knox. This enabled me to be able to be home when they got home from school. But I wanted so badly to be able to be a … [Read more...]
Never Do Good Deeds Halfheartedly
How can anyone say they are doing a good deed if their heart isn't fully into it? I don't get that personally. If I'm going to do a good deed for someone or something then I need to have my heart fully into it. The fact is others will be able to tell that I'm not into it otherwise. Unless, of course, you're a fantastic actor/actress who can get away with faking it, but if that's the case maybe that person should be paid millions to do movies and what not then too. When Mari died, I could have … [Read more...]
Day 140: Making Soup
I love this quote: Stories are what show up on the page once you start hitting the keys. —LARRY MCMURTRY Isn't that the truth? Whether it's nonfiction or fiction, the stories we decide to write about won't happen unless we take that first step to get them written down. And when we do this it's like we're making our own little soup story. I think back to the day when this website was born. I'd been told by my mom for a while to write down my thoughts and share them. It's good for you. I didn't … [Read more...]
Effortless Giving
When we talk about giving something away, do we do it with a kind, open heart or do we do it because it feels like an obligation or that we have to. Personally, I can't remember the last time where I felt pressured to give a gift. I love walking into a store and seeing something that reminds me of a family member or friend. It's not something overly big or pricy, but it's something I know the recipient will like. I call them "Just because" gifts. And because it's a "just because" I don't expect … [Read more...]
Day 124: Breaking Glass: Metaphor and Symbols
In life, it seems so many of try to come our grief and pain to someone else’s. Our tragedy to theirs. The thing is that even if the tragedies sound similar in nature, no two are the same. I remember going to a wake a few months after my daughter had passed. The may be long but here goes: My husband’s sister’s husband’s (David’s) grandfather had passed away. Both David’s grandmother and the grandfather had come to Mari’s wake. Basically his whole family came by to pay their respects. I … [Read more...]
