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It’s Harder to Receive Than to Give
I almost dropped a Hail Mary pass this week. I know, I’ve never caught a football in my life! But it’s the perfect metaphor for what happened with my husband this week. I ran smack into the realization that it’s harder to receive than to give. In a 1975 playoff game, the Dallas Cowboys were down 14 to 10 against the Minnesota Vikings. With only twenty-four seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, Cowboys’ quarterback Roger Staubach threw a winning, miracle pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson. Staubach said that when he threw the ball to Pearson, “I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.” This play…
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Give Experiences Instead of Gifts This Valentine’s Day
The results are in. Many of us, especially millennials, are choosing experiences over things. I’m no millennial, and I do like my things. But my husband and I have often commented that those things we own, if not careful, can sometimes hold us. They take our time, make us anxious, and can be taken away. I think my millennial friends might be onto something. My husband and I love to reminisce; when we do, it’s about our experiences. So, I thought I’d explore ways to give experiences instead of gifts this Valentine’s Day. Get ready to fall in love with these fun date ideas. 1. Take a class together.…
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Until Death Do Us Part
My Dad died since we spoke last. It’s been two weeks, two days, and nine hours since I received the call. I’ve spent a lot of time pondering my Dad’s life and what it meant. It’s funny how you don’t think about those things in everyday life. Well, until death do us part. It’s a victorious story, and particularly relevant with Valentine’s Day upon us. I’ve written about the moment when I met my husband’s parents at age eighteen. I’ve explained how it marked me forever because it showed me what a healthy marriage looked like for the very first time, and it set me on a path toward achieving…
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Turn Down the Noise for a Happy New Year
This is an article from last year, with a few revisions. I think it’s worth re-sharing. The United Nations declared 2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust. How do you think we did? I think we can do better. It’s up to us, really. I’d like to suggest that in order to do that, we turn down the noise and have a truly happy new year. I have learned that the things to which we give our attention set our direction. And our direction determines our destination. I Learned This Lesson Early My husband, Bobby Martin, is a professional drag racer. He drives the race car, and one…
