Month: December 2015

Heart at Holiday Time

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December2015HeartCalendarIt is late December and the world is decorated with lights, wreaths, and boughs of holly. It’s also dressed up with menorah candles, Yule logs, and Kwanzaa decorations—in it’s in its best attire for the holidays. Soon it will bring in the new year with snow and signs blazing Happy New Year 2016 to all. It shows lots of heart in many forms, places, expressions, and times.

This time of year, people extend their hearts to others and they warm their own hearts at get-togethers, parties, religious celebrations, and charitable events. All look forward to the joy of doing things outside normal daily activities. December is replete with opportunities to pause and feel and be—many wonderful activities that warm and nourish. Continue reading →

Finding Heart

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PebbleHeartSince I started writing these blog articles, I see heart everywhere. Perhaps focusing on many meanings of heart makes me more sensitive and aware of its presence in the world. That’s a true blessing in my life.

Last week, I visited an elementary school and I saw a home-made heart mobile hanging from the ceiling in a classroom. It drew me toward it, and I admired the colorful paper heart shapes wafting in the air. It reminded me that all ages have heart. Continue reading →

Gaining Heart

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GainingHeartI have been tackling home repair projects. They piled up to the point I had to dig out from under. After prioritizing them, I talked with others wiser about plumbing and electricity and other repair domains. Then I dove in.

The first project was fixing the continuously-running toilet. I consulted others, checked online for guidance, and found a food color test that determines whether the flapper should be replaced. Food color in the tank migrated into the bowl—the flapper needed replacement. I bought a new flapper with a pipe seal gasket. After carefully following the directions, the toilet ran worse than before.  Continue reading →

Smiling Heart

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SmilingHeartWithGlow This blog took a brief vacation, since Thanksgiving. It needed rest. I needed a rest, too. But it’s back—and I am, too.

The most recent heart-filled memory that clearly stays with me is a wonderful smile I saw from a distance. I was trotting along on my rounds the day after Thanksgiving, walking as fast as I could in a new and unfamiliar location. A kind driver paused his vehicle to yield the right of way to me on the street. He donned a very pleasant smile as he motioned for me to move ahead while he waited for me to pass by. He was generous in more ways than one—he enabled me to keep up my brisk waking pace, and he shared a smile that lifted my heart. I can picture his smile in my mind at this very moment—it makes my heart smile now.  Continue reading →