Posts by juststeph

It is that time of year again where we shake the dust off and move from the dark days of winter to the warm rays of spring. We prepare for better weather calling for open windows, doors and back deck cocktails by a thorough spring cleaning. It is time to wash down the window sills,…

Raise your hand if you have ever received a gift that you did not like, want or need. Then for the next person’s birthday you wrapped that unwanted gift in pretty paper and re-gifted it to the unsuspecting recipient. We have all re-gifted. Candlesticks and picture frames are not the only things we, the broken…

Raise your hand if you would like someone, a partner, with whom to watch movies, grab dinner, talk, laugh and engage in adult activities! Most of us do not hesitate to shoot that hand right up. Me, I would even lift my small Poland Syndrome hand high and wave it. With each Tinder swipe, we…

Raise your hand if you have never been through heartbreak, loss of any kind, illness, abuse, rejection, abandonment, etc. Can anyone out there in reader-land say they are completely hurt-free? Can you say that you have never been disappointed, let down, back-stabbed, etc.? Every one of us has a story. If you have a pulse,…

I was sharing my faith journey with a new person in my life. I explained how I had been mad at God for a long time. I felt my prayers were not answered, especially when I was praying for what I had been told was God’s Will. I had blamed God for my Rare Disorder,…

Slip a sable under the tree for me. Been an awful good girl… As I reflect back over 2018, I wonder what I do not have that Santa could possibly give me. This year has been one of enormous growth.  Growing pains hurt. They wake you at night, haunt your days and bring to the…

I still pinch myself almost two month after my trip to Dubai. With most experiences, time diminishes the excitement. For me, time has yielded introspection, reflection and a deeper understanding of how I want to move forward.  I look back on my trip with a sense of awe and amazement at myself for traveling alone,…

“Travel opens our minds to different cultures, philosophies, and world views. Travel opens our hearts to the people of foreign lands and their different traditions and creeds. Travel dissolves the stains of prejudice that infect our hearts and societies. Money spent on travel is money well spent on an education that you will never receive…

Human beings are wired for generosity.  If you have kids, or care for children in one capacity or another, your giving treadmill is on 24/7. Your communities are constantly asking for volunteers to plant shrubs in the town center. Your employer strong arms you into supporting the upkeep of the lion’s den at the local…

When I talk to my mom about anything in my life that causes me angst, she inevitably says, “you know too much!”  She is referring to my ability to dissect and analyze situations, my feelings and where I see the people involved.  And though she may be correct to some degree (I need to get…