In my blog written on the 29th of August 2021, I wrote about Warriors and my students who represented such.

We were just returning back from a year of ZOOM and my students and I were getting to know each other in-person. (all over again)

I wrote about their resiliency and how I wished I could look into a Looking Glass into the future of their 8th grade year to see the results of our connection efforts made over ZOOM with them during their 5th grade year.

26 years ago, I was pregnant with my son and my first child. A friend who would later become a godparent to our daughter, who would arrive two years later, announced that she had melanoma. This frightened her, and what would later be the beginning of a series of challenges she would face, she somehow continued to be strong with a clear intention of her desire. She still had plans.

My family and I have just returned from two back-to-back family reunion events. Although these events celebrated my heart, my garden beds appear to have celebrated in their own way! (A weed party) There were sections where I struggled to discover which plants were the vegetables and which ones were the weeds. Granted, I anticipated this, but observing how rapid weeds grow, this never ceases to amaze me.

“Porch Time

is never wasted time

It’s taking the time to commune with nature and your loved ones.

It’s listening to my daughter play air guitar to Little Feat on volume 11 at midnight with her Aunt and Dad.”

-Amy Conn

I’m sitting on my porch for a spell in between two very busy times in my life. Taking a moment to observe the stillness I am suddenly reminded of the busyness that surrounds me.

Much like this song “ Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley - I am reminded of the simplicity and amazement of nature. You see, residing within a homemade birdhouse that my children made a dozen years ago at their middle school, live a small family of birds with very busy parents.

True joy is a limitless, life-defining, transformative reservoir waiting to be tapped into. It requires the utmost surrender and, like love, is a choice to be made.

This past week, Michael and I traveled to Long Beach to join my brother and sister-in-law to memorialize our friend, our family member, a person we loved.