By: Sandy Churchill Chaos and frenzy abound these days, whether it’s the holiday rush, the ever-evolving COVID-19 crisis, or the frantic pace of traffic and work and school. Thus, it is no surprise that we are often so steeped in our own “to-do” list, that we can be unintentionally oblivious to the needs of others … More A Resolution to Be Mindful of Others in the Small Things
By: Sandy Churchill Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, Feliz Navidad, Breath of Heaven, Grown-up Christmas List… Whatever your taste in music for Christmas, Hanukkah, and throughout the winter season, there can be an undeniable spirit lift in music. An extra boost happens magically when we sing along. I cannot count how many times a dreary … More The Joy of Singing
By: Sandy Churchill As a type-A, anxiety-prone, over-the-top celebrator who embraces FOMO (fear-of-missing-out) like a mantra, I need my calm friends and family to keep me grounded. My partner in crime is a type-B, go-with-the-flow, even-keel spouse who rides the middle of the emotional highway without much veering into the highs and lows of my … More Setting Lower Expectations for Holiday Peace
By: Sandy Churchill I love Halloween! I love Thanksgiving! I love Christmas! I love Easter! I love the Fourth of July! As you can surmise, I am one of those folks who gets excited about any reason to celebrate—to get together with family and friends, craft, cook, converse, and do myriad seasonal things that comprise … More Traditions Change … But Happy Everything!
By: Sandra L. Churchill Summer is abloom with bubblegum petunias, Shasta daisies, sweet roses, and wild lavender. Gardeners everywhere bend on soil-stained knees, patiently attending to blossoms and vegetables alike, nurturing their tender leaves and stems to vibrant, dewy verdure. But in recent weeks, I have been pondering the possibility that not all gardeners raise … More A Gardener of Hearts and Souls
By: Sandra L. Churchill Call it the Pride and Prejudice-loving, timeless romantic in me, but there is nothing so endearing and charming as a hand-written letter. A note of encouragement, get-well card, or just-because friendship letter, thoughtfully penned and snail-mailed, is such a testament from one human to another that he or she matters. The … More You’ve Got Mail!
By: Sandy Churchill What do playgrounds, coffee shops, graduations, First Communions, funerals, and birthday parties have in common? For our family, these represent losses or changes during Covid. This year alone, there were funerals we had to attend “virtually,” along with both bridal and baby showers, and several landmark occasions were either postponed or canceled. … More Grieving First, Then Embracing Hope
By: Sandra L. Churchill Growing up with traditional manners in my childhood home meant writing thank you notes, mostly to faraway relatives who sent birthday or Christmas presents. Once in awhile, there were special notes written to teachers or scout leaders, church volunteers, or others in response to kind gestures, awards, and such. The simple … More A Simple Thank You Goes a Long Way
By: Sandra L. Churchill Many of us are so tapped out by the energy-sapping likes of quarantines and Covid restrictions, that New Year’s resolutions seemed like one more demand on an already strained schedule. It’s not necessarily that we are doing “too much” when we examine our days, but for many of us as parents, … More Setting Goals for a Stellar 2021
By: Sandy Churchill The year 2020 will go down in the history books as a wacky, upside-down time when nothing was normal, “socially-distant” became a buzzword, Zoom became a lifeline for school and work, and all of us became fashionably “masked.” While we did our best to take health precautions, adapt as much as possible, … More Silver Linings at a Covid Thanksgiving
Community Voices for Health 