Can I cheat a little? Well, actually a lot? This month I’m not sharing the usual four somethings, but rather a year-end recap of all sorts of things. I’m still linking up with Heather Gerwing, though, because it’s all done in the spirit of her wonderful Share Four Somethings linkup.

Years ago, when part of my work involved writing book reviews, I read a business book called Now, Discover Your Strengths. Written by Gallup Organization researchers Don Clifton and Marcus Buckingham, this bestseller asserts that the most effective way to motivate people is to develop their strengths rather than correct …

During the first session of a new grief support group, the leader asked us to hold our index fingers out in front of us so we could see our fingerprints. He was emphasizing the fact that, just as every fingerprint is unique, so is each person’s journey through grief. I …

My mom once asked me to recommend some good books for her to read. I gave her a couple of titles and told her that they had been tremendously impactful in my own life. She gave them back after about a week, explaining that she just couldn’t get into them. …

There’s a spirea bush outside my front door that used to be in the backyard by the fence. It wasn’t really thriving there, so a few years ago, I dug it up and replanted it in the front garden. I didn’t have high hopes for the shrub’s survival in its …