I hate winter! I have been hating on winter for as long as I can remember. All of my life I have viewed winter through this same lens and with this same perspective. I can think of a myriad of reasons why I feel this way.
Certainly pictures of landscapes covered with the whiteness snow brings present a peaceful picture. Not to mention the activities folks can only enjoy when a sled is drawn or sliding through the slickness snow brings to the surfaces in its path. There is sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, skating and any number of activities people engage in that are fun which need that white icy stuff.
But I guess I have seen and felt too many of the hardships it also inflicts to enjoy any of its pleasures. I recall having been almost frostbitten as I waited for a delayed ride (from work) as the snow and wind blew mightily and the temperatures continued to drop. I was petrified that I would never make it home.
As a child I lived in the area of the Appalachian Mountains which are covered largely by deciduous trees. As fall arrived trees received that signal to discontinue the growth of leaves and down they came leaving behind bare brown trees without their clothes -- leaves!! They always looked so dreadful to me all bare and lifeless just standing there. And then came the snow that took forever to melt and got dirtier and dirtier day by day until what seemed like Fourth of July before it melted. The ground became mushy and dirtied your shoes as it was difficult to find a place to step as you tried to walk. In those days sidewalks were few and far between unless you lived right in the middle of a little town.
The best thing I can think about winter and cold weather is ----that it is followed by Spring and then Summer. Guess there really is a light behind every cloud after all.*
* This post was largely written in February of 2015!
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Remembering Denver (Harpers and Deavers)
One year ago today the last of the children of Thurman and Alice Davis Harper left this good earth to join his parents and other siblings plus his dearly beloved Lucille, and two of their children, Ricky and Nancy. Since that time I have often thought of that great reunion for the Harper Family. In my mind's eye it was a reunion beyond description. Within a month of Denver's departure the husband of his only sister, Jimmy Deaver, (known to some as Jesse) also joined the family as well as the Deaver Clan. One can only imagine how this reunion went when these former residents of the sandy soils of eastern North Carolina met together after a time of separation.
Although my acquaintance with some of those involved in these families is non-existent being a part of these families through marriage and having known those who loved and remembered them helps one feel as though I know them through family ties.
I miss Denver just as I miss his brother Ken who was my husband. Not a day goes by that I do not spend some time remembering Ken and regretting that I cannot speak to him.....or just missing him. his golden voice, and beautiful spirit and demeanor.
I am certain those left in Denver's earthly family feel much the same today and on many others.
Although my acquaintance with some of those involved in these families is non-existent being a part of these families through marriage and having known those who loved and remembered them helps one feel as though I know them through family ties.
I miss Denver just as I miss his brother Ken who was my husband. Not a day goes by that I do not spend some time remembering Ken and regretting that I cannot speak to him.....or just missing him. his golden voice, and beautiful spirit and demeanor.
I am certain those left in Denver's earthly family feel much the same today and on many others.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Humility
Credit to Mormon Tabernacle Choir Broadcast
This Week's Broadcast
January 10, 2016 | Broadcast Number 4504
“The Power of Humility”
The world in which we live is fiercely competitive—some would even say ruthless. The pressure to succeed, to get ahead, leads many to be aggressive, dominating, overpowering. And succeed they often do—in a sense. But there’s a different, even a better way to live and to succeed. It is, in a word, humility.
Of course, humility is not a new idea, but it is getting renewed attention in—of all places—the hard-hitting business world. Recently several large, successful corporations have begun to prize humble leaders over the brash, overbearing kind. Humble leaders, they’ve found, “listen well, admit mistakes, and share the limelight.”1 They have helping hearts; they encourage teamwork and promote collaboration. They see themselves not as kings who issue orders but as coworkers in a worthwhile endeavor. Humble leaders see themselves authentically, with both strengths and weaknesses, and they recognize that leading others and serving them are not mutually exclusive efforts. One can be visionary and relentless, with the mind of a leader, and still be humble and teachable, with the heart of a servant.
Company executives are finding that when they hire leaders who are humble and eager to improve, the entire company benefits. A culture of humility and cooperation spreads throughout the workforce, bringing out the best in everyone.
But the humility must be sincere. In some ways, false modesty is worse than bold-faced arrogance because it is deceptive. By contrast, genuine humility comes from seeing things as they really are—recognizing that no one is superior to another, that we are each learning and growing as we go along. Some may be more gifted or talented, some may have had greater opportunities and more doors opened to them, but all have something to offer. All are worthy of dignity and respect.
If this attitude can improve the corporate world, think about what it could do for our interactions in our homes and communities. Imagine what might happen if we listened a little better, admitted our errors, and stopped worrying about who gets credit. Humility just may be the key that unlocks the door to improved relations, stronger organizations, and happier lives.
1. Joann S. Lublin, “The Case for Humble Executives,” Wall Street Journal, Oct. 20, 2015.
This Week's Broadcast
January 10, 2016 | Broadcast Number 4504
“The Power of Humility”
The world in which we live is fiercely competitive—some would even say ruthless. The pressure to succeed, to get ahead, leads many to be aggressive, dominating, overpowering. And succeed they often do—in a sense. But there’s a different, even a better way to live and to succeed. It is, in a word, humility.
Of course, humility is not a new idea, but it is getting renewed attention in—of all places—the hard-hitting business world. Recently several large, successful corporations have begun to prize humble leaders over the brash, overbearing kind. Humble leaders, they’ve found, “listen well, admit mistakes, and share the limelight.”1 They have helping hearts; they encourage teamwork and promote collaboration. They see themselves not as kings who issue orders but as coworkers in a worthwhile endeavor. Humble leaders see themselves authentically, with both strengths and weaknesses, and they recognize that leading others and serving them are not mutually exclusive efforts. One can be visionary and relentless, with the mind of a leader, and still be humble and teachable, with the heart of a servant.
Company executives are finding that when they hire leaders who are humble and eager to improve, the entire company benefits. A culture of humility and cooperation spreads throughout the workforce, bringing out the best in everyone.
But the humility must be sincere. In some ways, false modesty is worse than bold-faced arrogance because it is deceptive. By contrast, genuine humility comes from seeing things as they really are—recognizing that no one is superior to another, that we are each learning and growing as we go along. Some may be more gifted or talented, some may have had greater opportunities and more doors opened to them, but all have something to offer. All are worthy of dignity and respect.
If this attitude can improve the corporate world, think about what it could do for our interactions in our homes and communities. Imagine what might happen if we listened a little better, admitted our errors, and stopped worrying about who gets credit. Humility just may be the key that unlocks the door to improved relations, stronger organizations, and happier lives.
1. Joann S. Lublin, “The Case for Humble Executives,” Wall Street Journal, Oct. 20, 2015.
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