Depression is an issue that affects a lot of us. I, for one, have two sides. A light and sunny side, and also a darker side that sometimes wants to hide and shut out the world. According to the World Health Organization, 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Nearly 50 percent of the people diagnosed with it are also diagnosed with an anxiety d...

When it comes to doing special things for yourself, do you consistently fall short? If you fall short, I get it. People depend on you, and you’ve got responsibilities to show up regularly, and there’s not a lot of spare time at the end of the day. I know because I've BEEN THERE! Sometimes I am there, again. Putting YOU first on the list occasionally is essen...

This morning I woke up before dawn and laid in bed noticing the quiet and stillness of the morning. The air felt cool and when I looked out the window, I discovered everything was covered with a thick blanket of freshly fallen snow. It felt like a good morning to be indulgent, so I went back to bed. As I lay there thinking and reflecting I realized it FELT T...

When my husband (whom I thought was loyal) told me he was leaving, it was a curveball I didn't see coming. Once I got through the initial blast of shock, I determined to be positive and let go gracefully.  But as I settled into the reality of my situation, I resisted letting go and doggedly clung to all that was familiar. I reasoned that I hadn't quit on any...

I used to think being rich was all about having a lot of money, but then I got older and found out that being rich is much more than what’s in your bank account.   A couple of years ago, when I got really sick, I realized how precious good health is. During that time, I came to know how essential a happy and positive attitude is. I chose to be grateful that ...

It's not an exaggeration to say the past three years have been incredibly challenging and soul-stretching for me. At the same time, they’ve offered opportunities for growth and transformation like none other.    I now know I can do really hard things, and I’m a lot stronger than I thought! It's true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.   I’ve learn...

Recently my son finished the third deployment and got a police escort from the freeway exit to his house.  Usually, this sort of thing happens during the day and involves both lights and sirens, but since his flight got in after midnight, it was a hushed affair.   As I followed the procession that night at about 1:15 am, I thought about all of the sacrifices...

Last week, my friend Amy and I went camping near Capitol Reef, and near the visitor’s center, by the creek that runs alongside the Fruita campground, there was a TREE.  I've always been fascinated by trees. They call out to me and draw me to them, and I think they're all beautiful and unique in their own way. But this tree. It was huge, obviously ancient, an...

You know those times when you feel like you're underwater and everything is crashing down hard on you? THE TIMES WHEN what's happening to you, or what’s happening around you, is so shocking and surreal and feels so awful that you can't even imagine how you're going to get through it! Those times happen. In one way or another, we've all been there a time or t...

When everything is going right in your life, it's easy to be happy. I've been there. I had a lovely spell going for a while. I remember saying more than once that I knew it was a Golden time where everything felt EASY and GOOD and BLESSED! I remember how incredibly grateful I felt!    The funny thing is I also knew it wasn't going to last. I had a strong fee...

Years ago, I learned the serenity prayer. It goes like this. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference. I've spent decades working on mastering the three lines of this simple prayer, and in times of life such as I'm going through now, it's useful. So, let's br...

When I got married in 2003, it was the most thought-through and prayed-about decision of my life.  I knew what I wanted and wanted to ensure I was doing it right. I knew what I was getting into. In addition to marrying my best friend, I was taking on his five kids, dealing with his ex-wife, a slew of unresolved emotional issues (haha, I had my own too), and ...

This is a long post about a severe health crisis that I experienced. I'm writing because my story offers hope for those with serious health issues. I'm also sharing my story because I've been telling people for years that you can't control what happens to you, but you can choose how you react to it. This post is about how I got a chance to walk my talk and p...

I've always loved Christmas a lot. Back in the day when Christmas sweaters were trendy and cool before they became a thing to mock and laugh at ugly sweater parties, I had some adorable ones. Back then, I could hardly wait for December 1st to start wearing my fabulous collection of Christmas sweaters, and I was always a little sad when it was time to put the...

A week ago, I set some wellness goals for myself.  Eat cleaner, no sugar, meditate, exercise every day, drink more water, get more sleep. The first two days, I did great. WooHoo ;) Then life happened, and my schedule and plan got bumped.  I got tired, and someone left cookies on my counter.  I ate one and immediately felt disappointment along with the tempta...

The other day, while reading The Paper Bag Princess, and Amelia Bedelia ,to my granddaughter, I realized that these children's books contain a couple of valuable relationship nuggets.    Relationship nugget #1 is from The Paper Bag Princess. It’s DON'T MARRY A BUM.    The Paper Bag Princess tells the story of a princess named Elizabeth, who was going to marr...

Today while I was driving, I heard Kelly Clarkson singing White Christmas. And two thoughts instantly crossed my mind.  My first thought, I love Kelly Clarkson's voice, and I think she does a great job with that song! Second thought, I hope it doesn't snow because I'm really good if it stays this warm (60 outside). But in reality, the weather is supposed to ...

Last year, on Dec. 9th, 2016,  around eleven thirty in the morning, I got a call that my oldest daughter was dead. She was forty one and had eight children, five still at home. You never expect that sort of thing to happen, at least not to your kid. And not to you. And not right before Christmas.  You never dream that you'll be attending your daughter's fune...