Author: Marlys Lawry Page 15 of 54

Making a difference, one bike at a time

Peter Howe, a British Empire Medal recipient and retired police officer, has re-furbished more than 750 bikes that have gone to people in need.

Personally speaking, the benefits and the satisfaction come from the fact that I am doing something for someone else. — Peter

 

Photo by Asya Vee on Unsplash

What are you afraid of?

It took a while after stepping into widowhood to begin thinking about dating and possibly remarriage. 

Being an obsessive list-maker, I drafted an inventory of what was important to me: A man who is family oriented, active outdoors, someone who is making a difference in the lives of others.

 

Photo by Joe Yates on Unsplash

 

What truly brings you joy?

My Walking for Wellness crew—because of self-quarantined living—set up a text group. Which means my phone pings frequently. Smile.

 

Walking 4 Wellness crew

What if we could live fully in the small moments?

Michelle Bader, my beautiful young friend, is standing watch as her husband is dying of cancer. Michelle’s anticipatory grief for the loss she and her three children will experience is taking her heart on a crazy roller coaster ride these days.

 

Photo by blueberry Maki on Unsplash

When this is over …

It seems we humans tend to not appreciate things—like, our good health, or our people, or a way of life, or our freedoms—until we lose them.

 

Photo: Marlys

When is a tree much more than a tree?

My friend Dan lost his wife to cancer in July 2019. Their daughter Carey works for Friends of Trees, a non-profit based in Portland, Oregon. When her co-workers gifted her with a grove of trees to plant in memory of her mom, Carey organized a “friends and family” tree-planting gathering.

 

Carey with her husband and son (all photos courtesy of the family)

Difference Makers: What is the starfish theory?

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the young boy on a beach where hundreds of starfish had been washed ashore by a high tide.

 

Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash

46 highly effective self-care tips

Self-care was something I didn’t do well in the final months of my husband’s life. I dragged my tattered super hero cape in the mud far too long—because I didn’t want to bother people, because self-care sounded self-ish.

 

Photo by Holger Link on Unsplash

To-do lists … or not to-do lists, that is the question

There’s a trend, a splash across the internet that’s troublesome. I’m noticing articles with titles, such as, “Why Successful People Don’t Use To-Do Lists” and “Why To-Do Lists Don’t Work.” 

 

No matter your size, you can still be fierce

Every time I return from a short hike, Roxie is sitting at her guard post where she can see out the large windows that flank the stone fireplace. No one’s getting away with anything on her watch.

 

Guard dog Roxie (all photos: Marlys)

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