March 8, 2019 ~ rdicarne ~ 21 Comments

Happiness consists not in having much, but in wanting no more than you have. ~ Lydia M. Child

This word prompt comes from The Five Minute Friday website for Christian writers. As I began reflecting on the word MORE, I thought about all the times I felt like I needed to be more, have more, do more in order to be what the world expected. There were times in my life when I felt “less than” because I believed that others in the world were more, had more, accomplished more than me. It took me a long time to learn to love my life just as it was at any given moment.

I don’t need more…

things to clutter up my home.
clothes to shove in my closet and be forgotten.
friends on social media
TV programs to mindlessly watch
credit card debt

I need more

smiles and laughter
days with my grandchildren
time with my husband
“playdates” with my close friends
meals shared together around the table

It also reminded me of a book I love to read to my students, Just Enough and Not Too Much by Kaethe Zemach. In this story, Simon the fiddler lived in a cozy little house and had everything he needed. One day he looked around and wanted more, so he started amassing a great quantity of different things until his house became too cluttered. He invited many friends over for a party. When the party was over he encouraged his friends to take all of his excess belongings. In the end Simon the fiddler was happy once more because he had just enough and not too much.

I strive to be like Simon – wanting just enough and not too much.

Build

February 10, 2019 ~ rdicarne ~ 4 Comments

“Whatever good things we build end up building us.” ~ Jim Rohn

When I started to think about the word build, I began to think about the things I have built and things I need to build.

Things I have built

A marriage – going on 39 years
A family– husband, two children and their spouses, four grandchildren, and my ever supportive siblings and their significant others.
A career – over 30 years of wearing various hats – elementary music teacher, middle school ELA teacher, college writing teacher, PD facilitator, tutor, writer
Friendships – a wonderful mix of high school & college friends, work colleagues, neighbors, PAWLP writing project colleagues, and of course my book club buddies – The Chapter Chicks.

Things I need to build

A better body – not for the look of it but for the feel. Aging definitely takes its toll, but I can do my part to stay strong and healthy.
Relationships – with people from whom I have drifted.
An organized home – Purging things collected over almost 40 years can be freeing.
Reading stamina – I am working on decreasing screen time and increasing read time.

I am grateful for the people and things who have had a part in building me into who I am today, and I look forward to experiencing the renovations and remodeling that will take place in my future.

#Five Minute Friday

Enough

April 7, 2017 ~ rdicarne ~ 2 Comments

Five-Minute-Friday-4 This post is in reponse to the word prompt on Five Minute Friday. // indicates where my five minutes began and ended.

My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never. ~Duke Ellington

I’ve had enough!

Enough of the pain and suffering in the world
Enough of people feeling entitled
Enough of judgement
Enough of poverty in one of the richest countries in the world
Enough of grown-ups acting like children
Enough of people’s priorities being in the wrong place
Enough bullying and name calling
Enough illness and death
Enough of people not being able to see past their own initiatives to be able to work collaboratively
Enough of aggressive drivers