Vicki Atkinson's Blog, page 10

Hello and Goodbye?

This photo – snipped in above of a dear deer peeking at me is not my own, but a darn good substitute given that it’s just a stock photo from Google images. Normally I take my own pics, but I had a good reason for restraint. I’ll explain…

I’ve written about the deer that frequent our backyard and included a couple of links to other posts – see below. But my most recent encounter? I’m still marveling about the moment. Full of love, nature and listening. A reminder to slow down.

We have ...

~Late and Lost~

I woke up, disoriented to the max.

Foggy and exhausted, as if I’d been running a marathon. In a slumber state. Turns out, I had been. Running, that is. But the image of blue eyeliner pulsing through my brain?

This is it, I thought.

I’ve lost my marbles. All of them, thanks to this nonsensical cerebral event.

And then I remembered. This middle of the night nonsense isn’t new. Sometimes I can glean a muddled version of an epiphany, but gee whiz; it isn’t easy.

I was mad. Awake...

Loving Lisa: “I’m Like the Others”

“We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life.”

– Carl Jung

Learning from others helps me see past the inadvertent disguises I wear. Most often, a comforting mask of certainty. Knowingness.

Surprises come when I can recognize a growth opportunity. An opening to embrace what I might overlook. Seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.

This happens to me, again and again, with my sweet disabled sister, Lisa. Due to her developmental disabil...

Hand in Hand

I’ve returned to Yeats.

William Butler Yeats, that is, because of “The Celtic Twilight” – first published in 1893 yet resonant for me today. A volume that’s comprised of Yeats’ early morning reveries. They speak to me, especially as autumn approaches. Stoking my sense of wonder, my belief in possibilities…

Hand in hand .

I love the invitational aspects of Yeats’ words. Here are two examples that inspire…

Instill hope.

Especially when I read these verses in tandem:

...

When You Crack Yourself Up: Ghost Writer

Oh my. This story? It takes the cake. The whole bakery.

You won’t believe what I did.

At least I THINK it was my mistake. Let me explain.

I’m working on my project…my lengthier-by-the-minute manuscript that’s a fictionalized account of one of the threads in “Surviving Sue”. One that’s intrigued readers, which I’ve taken as encouragement to try my hand at fiction. Expand on the ‘what if’. (Thank you, Dave Williams, for your recent post mentioning the magic and wonder of ‘what if’. ...

Printers Row Lit Fest – Gratitude!

Hey there!

I’m checking in to share some tidbits about my second ever visit to Printers Row Lit Fest in gorgeous Chicago yesterday.

Here are some top-of-mind gratitude thoughts the morning after:

Listening to stories – discovering connecting threads between strangers about shared experiences, especially the challenges of tending to individual and generational trauma while caring for ourselves – and others – is soul-boosting.

Reconnecting with former colleag...

You Were Right

Being a decisive one, I run on conviction most days. Unafraid to take a position on the field yet I need to remember to yield. Give my fellow players…in the game of life…their due.  

I love a meditative moment when awareness peaks.

Across the day, I get swept up in all the “other” but in the morning?

I see and hear better. From the inside out and outside in. Like this:

You Were Right

Three words with mutual benefits

You don’t see it all, know it all, Vicki

Stay open. He...

Reasons to Smile…

Reason to Smile – #1:

The 2024 Printers Row Lit Fest is set for Saturday, September 7 & Sunday, September 8, 10AM – 6PM. This FREE event takes place on the streets of South Dearborn, from Ida B Wells to Polk Street in Chicago. Come Rain or Shine!

I’ll be there, in the Chicago Writers Association tent on Sunday, September 8 from 10am – 2pm. If you’re in the Chicago area, I’d love to see you!

I’m excited about second trip to Printers Row Lit Fest having enjoyed a year like no other. ...

Thinking About Joy

Children seem to have a knack for seeing the obvious and pointing it out to we, the elders, who lose our glimmer and perspective as we do all of the “adult” things. The responsible things. The things that are part and parcel of building a life, sustaining relationships, doing our best to nurture both family and careers. On good days, we find time for ourselves as well.

When pockets of hmm surface, I’m learning to slow down and receive, summon my inner child who sees hope more handily. If ...

Love Abundant

Yesterday I learned a dear friend suffered a heart wrenching loss – the unexpected passing of a dear uncle. She said she’d felt a tug to reach out to him over the past few months but didn’t slow down to do so.

How close to home does that confession hit? Too close. Too close for me.

On days when I think I can’t add one more task or duty, if a dear one pops to mind, I pause. A quick phone call or a text. Don’t question. Just do.

There’s not a thing in the world my friend could’ve don...