Appreciation Through Absence
When I was growing up, all I ever wanted was a pool. I was obsessed with pools. The most exciting thing in the world for me was when my grandmother would come to visit from England and stay at a hotel with a pool. My sister and I would be in that pool all day every day, no exaggeration. Despite growing up in San Diego, none of our neighborhood friends had a pool. Right now you’re thinking, San Diego? What about the beach? Nope, no comparison to a pool, my ten-year old self is saying! There was one exception, however, and it was a big one. Bill Walton (the basketball…
An Edmonds Kind of Homecoming
Years ago, the man I fell in love with lived in—and loved—Edmonds. So I moved here, a place I only knew previously as the home of the Kingston ferry. In time, Edmonds and I forged our own connection that I could not have predicted or expected. This sweet city stole my heart. It became my home. When we moved to Texas almost two years ago, it almost broke my heart. Me and my stuff left, but my house stayed here, my gym stayed here, and my people stayed here. And a huge piece of my heart stayed here. Because it was my home. Some say you can’t go home again.…
Every Year I Forget My Own Anniversary
Dan and I were married on March 4, 2008. The ceremony was performed in a limousine driving up and down the Las Vegas Strip (yes, it all happened seated inside the limo.) Nick and Amanda, Dan’s adult children, were the only guests. It was absolutely perfect!! But since I lost Dan, I have never remembered, on March 4, that my wedding anniversary is on March 4. The only exception is during that first year of grieving, where I went out to dinner with a friend that evening, and in a lovely surprise gesture, another friend called up the restaurant and paid for it. It is a good memory, my friends…
The European Family Vacation Survival Guide
In 2004, I traveled to Denmark, England and Ireland with my sister, mother and grandmother to visit various relatives on both sides of the family. I envisioned it as a way of reconnecting with our European family and discovering our Danish roots — 3-1/2 weeks of hanging out, catching up and having lots of fun. It wasn’t. Instead, what I hadn’t realized was this: Now that I am an adult, this no longer qualified as a family vacation, because a family vacation is not really a vacation unless you are under the age of 18. Consider using the following tips and reminders for your next family vacation — they just…
For Young Athletes, Play More Important Than Competition
By Coach Dan Potts Remember lying on the carpet with your infant? How innocent was that? More so than you know! The endless crawling and chasing on all fours allowed us to play at our child’s level of development. Their development depended upon a supply of endless wonder and new stimuli. As they grew and eventually walked, we chased them even more, playing hide and seek, throwing Nerf balls at endless targets, hiding, ducking dodging, until we were exhausted. Do you remember how fast the development occurred? On a daily basis to be exact, and it was fun. But the fun part was that it changed every day for the…
