“Travel doesn’t become an adventure until you leave yourself behind.” ~Marty Rubin Dear Universe, I have long dreamed of traveling to Ireland. And when the plan was made, everyone told me the same thing. I would love Ireland. The Irish people would greet us with open arms. Ireland is beautiful. And from the moment we arrived at the airport, I …
Little Gives, Big Gets
“Every sunrise is an invitation for us to arise and brighten someone’s day.” ~ Richelle E. Goodrich Dear Universe, We’ve all heard the joy in giving is in receiving. When you give from your heart you receive such a complete feeling of joy in return. And that’s true. Unfortunately, we sometimes think we have to give big to make it …
The Giving and Receiving of Writing
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” ~Anaïs Nin Dear Universe, Recently I stumbled upon a writing contest on Positive Writer. The topic, “How Writing Has Positively Influenced My Life,” intrigued me. Though I’ve been writing for as long as I’ve been reading, this idea is something I only recently thought about. But I’ve never …
Cheer and be Cheered
“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.” ~Helen Keller Dear Universe, The other day I sent my dear friend an email. It was a link to a piece I had written and I wanted her to see it. She wrote back so encouragingly, so quickly, so completely excited—just like …
The Power of a Hug
Roger Williams Park Temple of Music “The earth has music for those who listen.” ~George Santayana Dear Universe, After what has felt like the longest winter in the history of my life, it is so rejuvenating to see the weather finally changing. Feeling afternoon sunshine, seeing more people outside, smelling the fresh spring air and hearing birds chirping are …
Add a Ta-Da To Your To-Do
“So much of life is in the smallness of moments…but they are harder to mark. ~Ally Condie Dear Universe, As we are all aware, I am a list maker. I’d like to think if accolades were given for list making, I’d be awarded a trophy or a ribbon or maybe just a small round of applause. I make lists on …
Beyond Blessed: A Heartfelt Birthday Thanks
“The cake had a trick candle that wouldn’t go out, so I didn’t get my wish. Which was just that it would always be like this…” ~Janet Fitch Dear Universe, Today is my birthday. Before the day gets started, I just wanted to say thank you for the gift of another year. My life is full of things I am …
Nice to Meet You… Finally
“What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year.” ~Vern McLellan Dear Universe, Flashback time. It was December 2010. I was in a particularly low place. I was doing my best to stay optimistic during a time of drastic change. I was doing my best not to be afraid …