cultivating the beautiful ordinary by sharing our tales and our tables
“I left something for you in the fridge.” My daughter’s text was no surprise and made me smile as I scrolled. For the past several years, I’ve known what I’ll find when I open our carport refrigerator where snacks await our active grandchildren. This tradition comes with a story that left both of us forever…
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We’ve all been there—finger hovering over the button, closed eyes, daring ourselves to do it—push send. I’ve found myself in that place countless times, whether sending a sensitive email or making an unnecessary purchase on Amazon. Questioning my self-trust seems more intense than usual in those moments. I want to do it but also know…
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I cannot breathe. Try to inhale– breath doesn’t come. My chest won’t rise. My throat is tight. Swollen. Shut. Although I try, I just can’t breathe.
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One night, sitting in front of the family television, for the first time in my life, I sobbed at the end of a touching movie. The year was 1966, and the film Born Free aired in homes across America. The movie, based on a true story, tells of a lioness named Elsa, an orphaned lion…
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Everyone wants to be accepted by their peers, but belonging doesn’t come as easily for some as for others. For the elementary school student, the first day of school brings much excitement, but it also comes with new challenges that reach beyond learning contractions and double-digit addition. Social nuances abound and add new dimensions to…
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I have grown to love the significance of rituals that mark beginnings and endings with purpose and beauty. Sitting amongst a beautiful group of women recently, I eagerly anticipated our time together. I had high expectations of sharing stories and nurturing the new relationships that come with a well-orchestrated women’s retreat. I was especially looking…
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Mornings feel safe to me. Everything is so new and fresh…safe. Recently, I settled into my comfortable space in the bay window enjoying the peacefulness of a new beginning. Welcoming the new day, I listened to the soothing sound of water as it quietly disrupted the surface of the pool. Flipping through my calendar, I…
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I’m a Boomer. In my childhood home, our telephone hung on the kitchen wall, and every time it rang, shouts of “I’ve got it!” resounded throughout the house as my brothers and I raced from every direction to get there first. Competition often provided the tension that held us close to one another: who got…
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His plan might have worked if I hadn’t been a girl. My brother was three when I was born and lived in a make-believe world created from bedtime stories and pages of well-worn children’s books. He loved hearing the same stories repeatedly, and his favorite tale included pirate ships and crocodiles. His relationship with fantasy…
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“I’m dying. I don’t know how to do this!” Laying on the bed in the dark, these words played over and over in my mind. I had felt a little off for some time, but there was nothing I could put my finger on. My family urged me to go to the doctor, but what…
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