Wildflower Writes

Photo by  Isaac Quesada  on  Unsplash Today I attended a feedback session for a friend who is developing her website and online presence. It was really a great gathering of women from a variety of backgrounds, life stages, and media expertise. The exchange was invigorating and inspiring. One of the most fascinating aspects of the gathering was hostess’s obliviousness to the fact that her homemade box lunches, coffee station, and sparkling drinks on ice demonstrated a gift for hospitality that left the rest of us amazed if not a bit envious. To her, it was just another fun idea to share with friends. It was only recently that I heard that one way to determine your unique gifts is to pay attention when something comes easy for you that doesn’t come easy for everyone. We sometimes take our abilities and passions for granted. Not everyone sees things the way you do. Not everyone can fix a car, create a website, balance a spreadsheet, or harmonize at will. God gave each of...

The topic of conversation in Sunday School class was "loyalty."  It was based on a Dick Van Dyke episode: Dick Van Dyke Show: A Man's Teeth Are Not His Own and the question is, "what is loyalty?" We decided loyalty includes the words spoken in front of someone, as well as the words spoken when they aren't around.  Loyalty includes faithfulness in actions also, as anyone who's witnessed a break-up due to an affair can attest to.  Loyalty involves choosing a person or principle to stand by, and not backing down. Sometimes loyalties clash.  If your best friend does something wrong and asks you to cover, do you remain loyal to your friend or your beliefs? Believe it or not, people take note of how loyal you are.  Your employer expects loyalty, and will probably not tolerate negative comments or doing non-work activities on the clock.  Your friends and co-workers secretly worry when you gossip about a third party if you talk abou...

Dedicated to Karen Johnston The doctor said, “no kids” Your polio forbids You were ready to fight I was born, in the rite Of motherhood Under your guidance Words became sentence They said I was bright You taught me to write I was three Every question I asked I was then tasked To tell what I think “Look it up” with a wink An answer You gave me freedom To explore wisdom Friendships and the world Hopes slowly uncurled And life Your strength displayed You weren’t afraid To speak your mind To do what was kind And right You provided meals To talk of ordeals A place to unwind Home ever enshrined In my heart You gave the right to choose Present for all debuts Cheering at each game To everything you came My biggest fan As an adult I received The best gift achieved My mom as my friend To listen and commend And advise I admire your courage In living out wordage Literature and theatre Loving life as actor Of your story As I bid adieu Know I love you And truly thank you For all that you d...

A friend of mine was going through a hard time dealing with a personal loss. “I’m so angry at God,” she said. “How could He let this happen?'” I didn’t have any simple answers for her. I don’t have any special insight into why God chooses to intervene in the lives of people at certain times, and then chooses to refrain from interceding at other times. His ways are not my ways. I did tell her was that it’s perfectly acceptable to be angry at God. Anger is a human emotion. We all experience it. Do you ever remember getting mad at someone when you were a kid, and you said, “I’m not going to be your friend anymore,” or “I hate you.” You didn’t mean it, you were just so angry. It was the only way you knew how to express yourself. Maybe you’ve had the privilege of having your own child yell or scream at you and tell you “You’re the worst mom (or dad) in the world! I hate you!” Unless you were angry too, you probably took the words with a grain of salt. You knew he was angry, and you didn...

When someone asks me what I do for a living, I’m a little embarrassed. I’m a director of admissions at a nursing home, but as soon as I say, “nursing home” most people either wrinkle their nose and change the subject, or go on about how they admire people who work in nursing homes because they couldn’t do it. Nursing homes aren’t dark, smelly places where old people go to die, in case that’s what you were thinking. Our facility has wide hallways, large courtyards, and lots of windows. It doesn’t smell any more than anyone else’s home. We have all kinds of wonderful people who live and work there. We have former factory workers, homemakers, salespeople, writers, bookkeepers, artists, farmers, and everything in between. Each person has a story, if you take the time to listen. One of our restorative aides gave me a poem today that reminded me how special the caregivers for the elderly are: If We Don’t… Hold their hands, Dry their tears, Try to calm their fears ...Who Will? If We Don't...

So I met tom last week. I met him through a friend of mine. He was like no one I had ever met before. He’s incredibly intelligent. He’s got this great voice, and he knows exactly where he’s going. He’s reliable, and he’s helped me through some sticky situations. I spent a lot of time with tom last week. He went with me almost everywhere I went. He’s helped me through some sticky situations. I trusted him to help me find my way, and was always there for me. He never lied, but always stayed on the straight and narrow. I don’t know what my life was like before tom. I was lost, alone, and confused. He became a beacon to me, shining the way through the darkness. This past week has opened my eyes to the possibilities. He made me feel safe, and I knew he wouldn’t let me down. Now, my relationship with tom has been severed. He was with me while my friend was out of town, but now he’s back with her. What am I going to do without him? I feel like I need him in my life. Maybe I c...