Tag: susan beckett

Like many of you, I grew up in church. Back then, church was quiet. Shhhh…Once you entered through the sanctuary doors, there seemed to be a mood of solemness. As a kid, I thought if I sneezed too loudly it was a terrible thing. But things change - Hallelujah - and today, many churches now see themselves as places of Godly celebration and fellowship. I’m convinced that Jesus had great spirited meetings and that laughter, excitement, and passion were always in play.

Wayyy back in my high school days, we were required to take Spanish. I have to admit being bilingual was apparently not my thing, but this I do remember; whenever our class was getting too loud for our teacher, she would yell out, “Escutcheon por favor! Escuchen!” Translated - listen please. Listen. It seems to be my one big takeaway from two years of Spanish. I even used that line on my own children when they were young.

I was in a store some years ago when I happened upon a mom with two young children in tow. They were being totally grumpy and whiny as only young kids can be, begging just to be let alone to roam the store by themselves. The mother’s young son finally blurted out, “Why can’t we?” to which his mother, in exasperation, shot back, “Because I’m bigger than you are!” End of discussion! Mom’s rules will be followed!

This past week I received a text from a friend - “Did you hear the news - Betty White just passed away?” We texted back and forth a few times about the passing of this remarkable comedian/actress who was just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. It seems that almost everybody loved Betty. From her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show to The Golden Girls, Betty was always a hit. She lived an incredible life, working until the end. She once even remarked, “Why retire from something if you’re loving and enjoying it so much? What would I do with myself?” One of her long-time friends even referred to her as a “national treasure.”

Here we are again - another New Year to usher in and along with it the proverbial New Year’s resolutions! The list, of course, is endless and is usually framed around self-improvement— read more books, be a nicer person, exercise, don’t eat so many jelly donuts, etc. But almost 50% of those who make these resolutions break them within the first month. So, this year I’ve decided to stick to making only one new resolution. I’ve determined this year not just to survive but to thrive! That’s my resolution! Thrive!!