I was with a friend last weekend who understandably didn’t eat a "bad spot" in a piece of pineapple, but as I pushed it off the plate and down the garbage disposal, it occurred to me that is how we sometimes treat people when we identify something that doesn’t appear quite right or that concerns us. We can often see or feel bad spots in fruit when we are making selections in the grocery store, but sometimes like with the pineapple, discoloring occurs after cutting it up and t

Dedicated to Gabriella Ann "Gabby" Collins , January 24, 2007-March 31, 2025, and Austin Hayes Waters , December 19, 1994-January 28, 2025, and all their family and friends who love them so dearly. Several years back, if I had read this blog, or virtually any other similar message, I would have disregarded it thinking, she doesn’t know my pain, she must not have challenges like I have, life must be easy for her, she doesn’t live in my brain, etc., etc., etc. I was a master at

After selling my home more than two years ago and getting rid of all but a few physical possessions in order to go away and write my memoir, I returned to Kansas City last year and told my daughter I wasn’t going to buy any Christmas decor for my little studio apartment. My little lover of all things Christmas, who is now 29 years old, wasn’t going to let me get away with making it easy on myself. It sounded blasphemous to her not to have at least some holiday decor, so she b

I don't often write about my spiritual beliefs, not because I'm uncomfortable doing so, but rather because there are so many people who...

There's a song I'll share at the end of this message that I heard earlier this week. I may have heard it before, but this time I really...

"If one day you have to choose between the world and love, remember this: If you choose the world you’ll be left without love, but if you...

As a parent, I wanted to believe that I could protect my child. I wanted to believe that I could make her life better, happier and safer...

I saw this frame more than 20 years ago and even though I knew I shouldn't spend the money on it at that time, I simply had to have it...

After spending nearly a year in the process of writing my memoir without convenient access to a fitness center, needing to write as the...

“There is a powerful moment in life when you either decide to tolerate life the way it is or decide to be brave and change it.” Rachel...

Those eyes. That face. OK, this Gigi is biased, but I think Cooper is just the sweetest and in May we celebrated his fifth birthday. And...

Last week I had the privilege of bonding with this little guy one-on-one for four days while his parents were working. He’s my...

“We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.” Marcel Proust I...

I attended a very moving Celebration of Life service this week. It's hard to tell exactly how many people were in attendance, but I would...