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To Wish or to Hope, that is the Question
“Happy New Year!” Our family and friends sang in unison as we slammed the door on 2022. “Make a wish everybody!” someone chanted. “Let’s hope for a great 2023!” Early the next morning, I plopped in my favorite chair with a gigantic cup of coffee, my Bible and journal. Two words resounded from the night before: “wish” and “hope.” I wondered which one was the best to use to usher in the new year, so I went to Google. Wish is to have a desire for (something, such as something unattainable, unlikely to happen. (merriam-webster.com) Hope as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; a…
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Servant or Friend?
“Did you hear the news? My friend asked. “Queen Elizabeth of England died!” I rushed to the TV and joined millions around the world, to watch news updates, commentaries, and documentaries about Her Majesty’s life. It was late in the day when a documentary about the Queen’s personal life caught my attention. It delved into a day in the life of the Queen, surrounded by many servants, referred to as “Lady-in-waiting.” A servant is a person who performs duties for others, a personal attendant, a person employed in the service of a government, or a devoted and helpful follower or supporter (New Oxford American Dictionary). The term usually implies performing…
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Lessons from a Pie
“My tummy hurts!” my little niece cried as she threw herself on the couch. “I wonder why you didn’t eat your dinner?” her mom asked, picking up the empty pie dish from the floor. “Turkey and veggies are not as good as dessert!” The adults in the room struggled to keep a straight face. “Honey, not everything we eat, or drink is good for us. Some foods make us strong, and some can make us weak or sick, especially if we eat too much of it!” She rubbed her tummy and dried her tears. “I know how she feels,” I said, holding my own stomach. “I know nobody wants to…
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The Day I wished I was Invisible
I’d never seen such a thing. A thick white snowy blanket enveloped the city. The temperature was so low that Lake Michigan had frozen over and appeared to rise above the ground. “Please come with me,” he pleaded. “This is a decision we’re both making!” “But the news says people should not leave their homes unless it’s totally necessary and you know how much I hate the cold!” I responded. My husband had just graduated from medical school and training for a specialty was the next step, which also meant we had to move far away from our country and our families. The third of several interviews for medical residency…
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Do you Know how to Ski?
“Hurry up, the race is starting!” my husband called. I grabbed the popcorn and rushed to the living room to watch the Winter Olympics’ ski competition. “How can they go down that mountain so fast without hitting all those trees?” I wondered. “Focus on what you want, not what might stop you,” he said. “That’s what the commentator explained.” My fingers raced to Google just the same. According to Rei.com: Scan the terrain ahead of you as you go so you can adjust to trees, rocks, stumps and other obstacles that may be in your way. Don’t fixate on the trees, but rather the white spaces between them—this will help…
