Unexpected realities in 2020

Two Different Shoes

I’ll never forget how disoriented I felt in 2013 when my now ex-husband moved to California temporarily for a job, even though I knew that we’d be visiting each other regularly. The day he left I had nearly finished putting on two completely different shoes when I realized what I was doing.  That moment paled … Read more

Making space for new beginnings

I intended to write this post yesterday when we announced the closing of our website Carolina Cycling News. I wanted the end of 2012 to be focused on good-bye’s and the start of 2013 to be focused on new things emerging in the space created by letting go. However, life doesn’t really divide up in those tidy boundaries we create and of course, a new beginning happens every day when the sun rises.

It is tough to let go of something you poured your heart and soul into when you created it. I took a leave of absence from my graduate school program because of the work involved in creating and running the website. I was also excited about traveling around the Southeast covering bike races and watching Neil race. We did do some of that but 2010 turned out to be a really tough year starting with my dad unexpectedly dying the week after we launched the website and Neil’s dad passing away a few months after his shocking terminal lung cancer diagnosis. Despite Neil receiving the news shortly before we drove up to the Carolinas Cycling Association promoters meeting, we went anyway because we believed in helping race promoters do a better job in getting the word out about their races. Such a surprise to discover that the CCA Board considered our publication competition – what?!

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Cancer language

It is amazing when you realize how much our language shapes our reality. My husband Neil recently reacted on Twitter (below) about the pressure from companies to buy products that “support cancer survivors.” It’s especially raw for him since losing his dad to cancer last December. I have the same type of reaction to the language that is used. With so many people we know being affected by it, we seem to talking about it more and more. I read in the book, Anticancer, A New Way of Life, New Edition that cancer is our natural healing process out of balance. If that is true then we aren’t really being invaded by something foreign that needs to be fought. I recently read that there has been a shift towards a “living with cancer” approach. I wonder what different types of treatment breakthroughs there could be with a different way of looking at cancer.

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Go in Peace

Today we released our beloved cat, Tao, from her suffering.  We are grateful for the blessing she was in our lives for the short nine years she has been a part of our family.  I post this prayer in honor of her passing and with the belief that she died in the embrace of our … Read more

Remembering the Unturkey

It’s that time of year when we would be looking forward to our Unturkey dinner. I see from my Sitemeter stats that folks are still Googling in vain for the Unturkey as I did last year. Alas, there’s been no miraculous return of that beloved vegetarian alternative. I have to admit that when I see … Read more

Finding Sanctuary

Although I notoriously seem to be always working, I do try to find moments of peace in the chaos. About a week ago, my husband Neil and I attended Tanabata: The Star Festival at Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch & Gardens: “Festivities are based on a traditional Asian tale about two constellations, Vega and Altair. … Read more