“Come without a map. Explore… and draw your own map.” ~Stephen King Dear Universe, On Sunday I had the chance to do a little island exploring. Into the car I went with two fellow writers, each of us bringing cameras and an open mind. As we drove through the windy roads we took in the beautiful Vineyard landscapes—lush green fields, …
Near or Far: Go, See and Do
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ~Terry Pratchett Dear Universe, It’s been a couple of busy weeks. It …
Warm Welcome, 2014
Today, “is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” ~ Brad Paisley “The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but rather that we should have a new soul.” ~G.K. Chesterton Dear Universe, Happy New Year Everyone! I have to say I feel at peace with the …
Fond Farewell, 2013
“Reflect upon your present blessings—of which every man has many –not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” ~Charles Dickens Dear Universe, As you are well aware, the end of the year keeps me busy. Busy preparing for all my New Year’s traditions! Yes, there are specific clothes to wear, food to eat and rituals to practice. …
Act or Forget
“Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won’t make us happier.” ~ Randy Pausch Dear Universe, Let me complain for a second. I know! You weren’t expecting me to start off with something so negative so let me …
So Grateful, So Much
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~William Arthur Ward Dear Universe, As you know, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday and probably my favorite day of the year. And as you also know, I am a huge fan of traditions. So this year, I did what I’ve always done in the …
Sending to Soldiers
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” ~Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama Dear Universe, The other day I was rushing from point A to point B. I had just finished class at one school and was zooming to get to my next one. I looked at my watch, calculating, thinking. Was there time for me to pick up a …
Special Delivery
Dear Universe, The other day I received a very special, surprise delivery! No—no one sent me flowers, or chocolates or a present. In fact, the surprise delivery was from me. About five months ago, I wrote myself an email to arrive in the future. I had tried this before, but the email never came or if it did, I missed …