My dad always encouraged my creativity. During my elementary school years, he taught me how to draw after dinner by sketching on napkins. When I turned 10, he enrolled me in art lessons. Proud of my artistic accomplishments, he hung one of my first childhood oil paintings (shown on the right) on […]

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      Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
Scott Adams

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Success is never final, failure is seldom fatal, it’s courage that counts.
Winston Churchill

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While having tea, Stacey (not her real name) made an interesting statement about fractured relationships in her own life that caught my attention. Literally, I asked her to pause for a moment. As I fumbled through my purse looking for a pen and scrap paper, I hoped she would be able to remember her exact words. […]

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Variety of form and brillancy of color in the objects presented  to patients are an actual means of recovery. Florence Nightingale

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Have you ever tossed a penny into a fountain and made a wish? Did your wish come true? Sometimes I have seen even quarters or half-dollars in a fountain. Perhaps someone sacrificed a half-dollar on a sincere desire.
Ten-year-old Nate, my son, threw a penny into the creek and made a wish. His friend, Jamal (not […]

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One day during middle school, I discovered that my father had left my mother. During the next several months, new emotions such as fear, loneliness, bitterness, and shame surrounded me like hyenas closing in on their prey. And depression seized me.
To mask the pain, I started binge eating. I stole cans of Betty Crocker Frosting […]

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The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection. Michelangelo

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At bedtime, my 10-year-old Nate told me about a conflict at school which escalated when another boy called him a bad name.
As my son expressed his hurt, I recalled a phone call I had with another adult. During the call, the individual made an accusation about my character. I instantly responded in kind.
Taking the High […]

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by Nate (age 9)
Most valuable
Outstanding mother
Thankful
Happy parent
Especially nice
Restful and kind

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