...but yourself. I read the most amazing quote last night in a book I've been reading by Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. "Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." I wrote the following paragraph two weeks ago, before ever reading the quote above. In 2026, my 53rd year, I'm focusing on peace. I want to find my peace, protect my peace, cultivate my peace. This year's word of the year has strong ties to last year's word, relax. Relax is more of a temporary state of being or an activity that reduces stress. I did an okay job of being more relaxed last year, but I still found myself feeling anxious and worried about the little and big things, more than I liked. Peace, on the other hand, is more of a state of being. I hope to embrace peace in my heart and mind. Peace can be deep, stable, and persistent. That even if th...
Some days I feel like I've done it all. To look at me, you might say, "Now that's an ordinary mom". Dig a little deeper and you'll find I've led a pretty interesting life, done some extraordinary things, especially once I became a mother of four wonderful, extremely different children, who are now young adults. Unique personalities and needs, all wonderful, trying, and glorious at the same time!