What I’m Grateful For: Words for the Weekend 
Hello dear readers! Incredible as it may seem, two years ago today marked the first of these Words for the Weekend. It began as an idea to have a weekly practice of gratitude that I committed to publicly, and it’s now a habit that has taught me so much about discipline, authenticity, sharing and feedback. It’s most certainly affected my life in so many ways, most especially the emails that you have sent me about your own lives, struggles and accomplishments and journeys. Thank you to each and every one of you that have shared your thoughts with me over the past two years.
I do want to call out one particular, treasured person that I am so grateful for, nearly every single day. Vanessa, who runs our SEO department, personally committed to making sure that Words got out each week and she’s been the reason that it’s never failed. From waking me up at midnight on a Thursday night, to grabbing another writer to stand in one week where I completely fell apart, Vanessa has been a miracle-worker and has been my rock, never complaining when I sent her the text for Words in the middle of the night, never refusing to take it on in addition to everything else she has on her plate.
Vanessa, THANK YOU. I appreciate you so very much and I’m so grateful to do Words with you each week!!
What I’m Reading: Silence: A Social History of One of the Least Understood Elements of Our Lives by Jane Brox. I was interested in this book because I love silence and find myself craving it, even at times for hours on end. Oddly, I love silence in the car on a long drive, where nearly everyone else prefers music or conversation or an audio book. I’m very rarely bored with silence and I love the company of my own mind and thoughts. This has been emerging for me in the last five years or so – relatively new – and I wanted to explore the topic, so hence this book. However, I’m learning more right now about early jails, prisons, and the Quaker attempts to reform the institution of incarceration and how forced silence – and solitary confinement – was intended to help reform and rehabilitate criminals. (Needless to say, it didn’t work very well). Interesting book indeed!
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Quote I’m Pondering: “Never miss a good chance to shut up.”― Will Rogers
