Growth is painful. Change is painful.
But nothing Is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.

I cannot believe that it’s almost May already! And I will tell you, it is going to be a busy month! What’s happening, you ask?

Our youngest granddaughter, Hannah, married nearly a year ago, and God has blessed her and husband Andrew with a pregnancy soon after they were married. We are grateful because her own GYN issues may have made conception difficult. We are thrilled that a baby girl is on her way–our third great grandchild.

We are having several counseling sessions with a couple in marital difficulty, also in early May. We seldom do this now, unless folk live nearby, because the long sessions, required if folk come a distance, are very hard on us old folk.

Our precious friends, from Phoenix, are coming for a visit. They refresh us!! Ken always does a few things around the house that we can no longer accomplish. Donna is always a wonderful help in the kitchen. We LOVE to cook together. She also loves to putter with me in my garden, which is done in large pots now, elevated off the ground to save me back pain. We will do some fun things together.

OH YES! Let me tell you about an herb which I love to grow and use in my cooking–lemon thyme. It is perfect in soups, veggies, and even salads. So this year my local nursery ordered a bunch for me to plant! YEA! I always grow oregano–nothing like fresh herbs! Also will plant sweet basil, chocolate mint, and whatever suits my fancy. Just don’t forget lemon thyme if you can find some. You’ll be glad you did!

We think, that even though Hannah is not due until June, she will deliver early. She is already bursting, or so it seems. Whenever that Baby Girl decides to be born, we will be thrilled to hold and hug and kiss her!! There’s a baby shower for Hannah and Baby Girl on May 6th, and that’ll be fun!

May is about growth, both emotional and physical, about spring and planting and watching things beginning to grow.

So let me ask: Are you growing? Are you still looking in the mirror, not at your hairdo but at the emotional growth or stagnation you are experiencing? Are you “staying in the conversation,” as Karan would say? Let us remind you, that if you are not still on your “journey” toward emotional and spiritual healing and contentment, then you are losing ground. It’s like Deb and I did when we went to Alaska for a Women’s Retreat, and kept going around the same few blocks 4 or 5 times. Talk about frustrating! We needed to get out of Anchorage toward the place of the retreat, but kept seeing the same sights over and over again. It’s just what happens when we don’t press on, when we don’t choose to remove those onion layers and learn yet another thing about ourselves and our beginnings.