Ever so slightly, the days are growing shorter. On some mornings, a slight coolness floats on the breeze. County fairs are popping up. All these things are sure signs that it’s August and, for many, school will soon be back in session.
When I look back on my younger years, I’m seized by equal parts nostalgia and gladness that I’m not that age anymore.
Continue reading “Three things I’d tell my high school self”
I hate to admit it, those three words that out of anyone else’s mouth drive me crazy: I’m too busy.
Continue reading “How volunteering keeps me sane (and humble).”
If you need a dose of humility, just take a look up at the night sky. All the stars above, extending infinitely above us – past and present, seen and unseen – can serve to remind us how small we are. But rather than feeling insignificant when I look up at the sky, I’ve always felt something else: That I’m one small part of the universe, and there are a lot of other people and things out there to ponder.
Continue reading “Slow down, look up: summertime stargazing”
It takes a special kind of inner grace to appreciate where you are and what you have right now. After all, that’s not what life teaches most of us. We need to constantly be improving, doing better; to be gaining, not losing; to crest one summit only to move on to another, taller one. And yet being grateful for the present is one of the most truly satisfying feelings we can know.
Continue reading “Enjoy today.”
In case you’ve missed it, the future is here. With it is the ability to buy nearly whatever we want, whenever we want it like never before. Colombian coffee delivered to our home in Iowa. Fresh strawberries in the dead of winter. Irish butter that, days ago, was just a twinkle in a dairy cow’s eye. The sheer variety and abundance of what we can purchase is astounding, and there’s no doubt the way we think about consuming today is very different than it was a hundred, fifty or even twenty years ago.
Since 1970, April 22 has been dedicated to thinking about how we can protect, preserve and appreciate the natural world around us. And when the weather is this gorgeous, and we’re finally able to shed our cocoon of winter layers, it’s not hard to do! Continue reading “Happy Earth Day weekend!”
Despite the extreme weather much of the country has seen lately (oh hey, snow one day and tornadoes the next), it’s officially spring. And while it’s a time to renew and refresh many aspects of our lives, spring-cleaning ourselves can be just as rejuvenating as preparing our homes for summer. Continue reading “Spring-clean your mindset”
It’s hard to believe, but I realized I’ve been posting on bloom. for a year now! I’ve learned so much, both from the things that have worked and those that haven’t. In a life that’s often a whirlwind of activity, writing affords me the chance to slow down, reflect and share with all of you – and it’s something I can’t wait to keep doing. Continue reading “Happy first birthday, bloom!”
Within minutes of sitting down to write this post, I came across the following Bible verse, one I’d never noticed before: “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:2, if you’re interested). It got me thinking about my own attitudes toward welcoming others and showing care and concern for my neighbor.
Continue reading “With open arms: On hospitality”
The seed of an idea planted itself in my mind as I watched, of all things, an episode of Parks and Recreation.
The much-maligned Jerry, being his typical self, had just expressed a sentiment that made me first sad, then angry: “Weekends are for dreaming.” Sad, because I knew most people, myself included, followed this logic in our own lives; angry, because that’s not how it should have to be.
Continue reading “It’s time to change our perception of work-life balance.”
bloom. 