Force is not the same as power.  

Jesus exuded power. Nelson Mandela exuded power. Mother Theresa exuded power. Our current administration is using force, and the reason their efforts aren’t landing is because power and force are polar opposites. To truly understand this distinction will give you some hope and optimism for the future. 

There for a minute, the world-at-large and its illusion of doom almost forced me into a chrysalis. I was on my way to burrowing so far into my own safe space it would take pure magic to turn me into a butterfly. But, an ever-present voice inside me kept pushing, kept asking, kept believing. 

Can you feel it? Can you see it? 

The slightest bit of crispness has crept into the air. A tiny hint of color teases the trees. On the ground, small pumpkins appear in the patch. Autumn is quietly arriving, gently moving into our days and nights, simmering down the fever pitch of summer. 

I once spun my wheels searching and seeking an experience outside of myself or something big and expansive to find happiness. This tactic sort of worked for a while, but eventually I realized that looking forward to the next vacation or celebration or milestone was preventing me from all the in-betweens, all the goodness that happens in the weeks and months and years that unfold quietly, slowly — these are the minutes and hours we need to embrace more fully. 

As I age and evolve, I realize more and more why it’s so important to be fully authentic, not only because it feels lighter but because it allows us to develop deep and true relationships, which ultimately is the most beautiful part of being human.

I recently found my old CD album, the giant book of plastic sleeves that many of us tediously curated back in the day. Flipping through the pages, one by one, I smiled as I recalled memories — certain albums serving as soundtracks to highlights and lowlights of my teenage and early adult years. 

Growing older isn’t all bad.

My grandparents once gave me nuggets of wisdom and I would look at them and think, "How do they know all of that?" 

The garden gnomes stared at me from our cluttered carport, dirty and bored, no blooming flowers to observe or tomato vines to tickle their bellies. I was holding on to them well past their desire.  

Is it just me or, as we get older, doesn't it seem like time moves at warp speed? When I was a child, minutes felt like hours and days felt like weeks. Maybe it was because getting lost in a moment was effortless or, while my parents and teachers managed the hard stuff, I was left to simply play and explore.

This past weekend our family attended the 4th annual Waynesville Chili Cookoff Stroll in downtown. The event spanned the districts of Main Street, Frog Level and Haywood Street and lasted from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.