On one of my walks, I noticed a small sign that had blown to the side of the running trail.You Got ThisIt was clearly meant to encourage runners to keep going.But in that moment, it was exactly the message I needed—because my thoughts were racing in circles, and my worries...
I arrived a bit early for my volunteer shift at my granddaughter’s school, so I took a few minutes to watch the senior class at the nearby high school practice for their graduation ceremony.Leaning against the chain-link fence was an older man, observing them with keen eyes.I commented, “I bet...
Mel, offering nursing care with a heart of love.Sometimes, we meet amazing individuals like Mel on the toughest days.He says his passion is bringing comfort and care, and his life’s purpose is deeply rooted in nursing.Born in the Philippines, Mel worked tirelessly to earn his nursing degree.But with few opportunities...
I had just turned twelve when I officially began my babysitting career with the Anderson family. I couldn’t have asked for a more energetic bunch of little boys to keep entertained, fed, bathed, and ready for bed by 7:30 p.m.Avon was the smiling, inspiring mother of this young crew. She...
I didn’t know much about the sport of track and field until my son started competing in high school. I quickly realized it’s a sport that blends team and individual achievement—schools earn points for each event, but athletes also strive to beat their own bests, setting new PRs (Personal Records)...
I’d flown to Tucson, Arizona to be with my father. I imagined that I could just sit quietly by his hospital bed, but the nursing staff limited my visits to 15 minutes every hour. I became very familiar with the long hallway just outside the Intensive Care Unit. The walls...
Here’s a flashback photo. Circa April 2011. My son, Tommy, was a junior at the University of Washington, using his trademark energy and studying more than he ever had before. Demanding life.I stopped by on my way to a Christian writers conference. It was a quick visit.We met in UW’s...
On my weekly walk to see my granddaughter, I go past an interior design store that has this huge picture in its front window.I like to stop and pick one of the phrases, then think how I can live it out. Some phrases are easier than others. Such as, “Kindness...
When I married her son, Bernadean might have felt there were things about my life to concern her. She may have wondered if I was the best girl for him. Her perception was warranted, but we hadn’t had much time to get to know each other yet.And that wouldn’t change...
I found the four-leaf clover in an unusual place. A small clover had been sealed between two small plastic discs and then encircled with a gold-colored band. The thinnest gold chain served as a necklace. As I held it, I wondered how old it was. I’d found the clover necklace...
It was one of those sunny, but too cold to be outside days, when I decided to use my great-grandmother’s sewing machine for the first time.I’d promised my granddaughter I’d make a blanket for her beloved stuffy, Dog-Dog, so with material in hand, I opened the antique sewing cabinet. When...
Recently a friend was chatting with me about life passing by without her leaving much of a mark on humanity. We both are at the age where more life is behind us than in front.She’d invested her time and career in an elementary classroom. She spent hours teaching kids to...
Let me begin by confessing it was my idea to pull out the 500-piece puzzle. Even though I help my granddaughter with her much easier puzzles, it has been years since I ventured to do a more challenging one. Perhaps I was hoping my husband, Tom, would say “No”.Instead, he...
The audit notice came in the mail, but the follow-up phone call assured me that I needed to have a full year’s worth of documents ready, as well as my computer available for the auditor to come and peruse our business expenditures. Since this was our state’s Department of Revenue,...
It was a routine annoyance that had me gritting my teeth as I hung up the phone with my mom. Another Valentine’s Day and my mother was coming to join us.. Didn’t she realize it was a day for couples—not necessarily a couple and their mom? But ever since the...
I’ve heard that mothers of sons sometimes have a harder time letting them go. Perhaps, but if letting go means gaining a bonus daughter like I have, then I have had it easy. Sara became my son’s fiancée a year ago. Today I celebrate her first birthday as his wife....
Throughout the dark days of January, I looked for bright spots on my walks to and from the bus stop—they bring cheer this time of year.Winter sunrises can be bright spots—all those clouds reflecting such glorious colors.Here’s some other bright spots from my January walks:Someone fastened big flowers to a...
Mom’s small pickup pulled over on a wide spot along the dirt road. It had been at least an hour’s drive on its washboard surface. My teenage attitude was as rough as the road we’d just traveled.Mom grabbed her backpack, and she handed me one to hold my lunch and...
In 1929 money was scarce. Jobs even more so. But a young woman was determined to become a nurse. The sick needed care, and Grace felt called to the rigors of the job.She worked every floor of Portland’s massive Providence Hospital. Emergencies were met with Grace’s calm, skilled care. This...
Mr. Clinton, was the friendly, greasy hands, jack-of-all trades, bike mechanic, who ran our local sporting equipment store. My parents bought a tricycle from him for my birthday.This wasn’t just a little trike—it was a super large one.Taking it out on the street in front of our home brought hoots...
Sometimes people are in our life just for a season, but they can leave their love with us in unforgettable ways. Three people did this for me during the month of January 1983.Snow had fallen at least a half-foot deep, and the neighborhood of beautiful older homes had narrow walkways...
I started a huge project a couple months ago—sorting through fifteen file boxes full of old personal letters dating back to the late 1970’s. I spread the piles by years all across the floor. As I put them into binders, I relived my past. In Mom’s cabin loft, I found...
We’d been storing the huge window panel in our shed—it was being kept for “one of those days” when it could be used for a greenhouse. So, there it stood waiting for one of those days to arrive.But during our recent clean-up effort, my husband accidentally tapped the bottom corner...
Mom loved clothes shopping, and she had an incredible wardrobe—sensible business suits, that she mixed and matched to make a variety of ensembles, sturdy outdoor clothes for hiking, some nice dresses, and a few cocktail dresses for fancier occasions.Back when I was a farmer’s wife, my denim overalls were my...
Most mornings I rarely sleep past five. But on this particular Christmas morning, I was awake even earlier because I wanted to be ready to help make breakfast and all the work that comes with a family crowd. It had been a few years since our family had traveled to...
For many years, the first week of December was my quarterly cancer screening. It was a cluster of different appointments shoehorned into a single day to accommodate my travel to Seattle. I’d walk from the ferry, passing storefronts festooned with lights, expertly wrapped boxes that looked like huge presents, and...
A Pacific Northwest born and bred woman of faith. Wife, mother, grandmother, hiker, writer, and blogger since 2011. Friday Tidings is a place to share stories of the journey through our time here.