Author Archives: K H Richardson

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About K H Richardson

I am a long-time creative sort who by day is a communications strategist and in every free moment writes fiction or blogs!

Staying young

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It’s intriguing to me the plethora of commercials offering middle-aged people programs and pills that make them feel like they are 25 again (who wants to be 25 again? I was young and dumb). Or they promise to stop the signs of aging. I can’t even tell if these products are vitamins, medications or therapy. I agree that as we age things about our bodies change. Sometimes those changes mean we can’t pull an all-nighter, or after a day of yard work, we are sore in places we didn’t know we had. We pace ourselves differently. Each of us ages differently. Why are we fighting so hard to not age?

The fact of the matter is we are all aging. We are changing. It’s going to happen. The challenge isn’t to turn the clock back, it is to move forward taking care of our selves and aging as gracefully as we can. To live lives that are purposeful until our last breath. It’s too easy to let ourselves slow down. We can sit down too early and then we get stuck in routines that can be unhealthy and waste a lot of time. Parents of young children spend their days working and caring for children. That’s the season they are in. Children grow up and need less of our care. With this season, we get some of our time back. What do we do with it? Do we get sucked into reality shows and TV watching every night? That is no way to let life go. Stay engaged.

So much of what I’ve noticed about the elders in my life is that while their bodies are aging their spirit is still very alive. They get up every day and do something — go to the store, go work in the yard, they read, volunteer, spend time with friends etc. They are active. They are engaged in living. It didn’t take a pill, potion, or therapy to accomplish this active elder life. I’m not sure what to call it, other than a decision. Even when their bodies do fail their desire to keep moving, they continue to live and be as active as their bodies will allow. They know their days on this earth are waning. Instead of sitting down and waiting for their last breath, every day they get up and make the decision to DO life.

What’s your take on aging?

KK

#aarp, #elderly

 

 

Eclipse Tips

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NGS Picture Id:1500684

Today is the day. It’s eclipse day. The day for which millions have waited and planned. We’ve had experts predicting and sharing with us how to get the most out of the eclipse. Here are a few of my thoughts.

Have your approved eclipse glasses. (@NASA) Check out Nasa’s safety tips for viewing.

Be realistic — We live in a time of amazing scientific advances in meteorology. Today we have weather warnings that save lives and the ability to predict to the minute when events like an eclipse will occur. With all these great resources, we can’t control the weather. WHAS meteorologist, Jared Heil, @whas11jared, posted a video a couple of weeks ago with the chances of clouds on eclipse day. If it happens just remember there is no controlling clouds, how they move or where they stay.

Be in the moment — don’t waste the few minutes you have observing to try and capture the photo or video. Take in this 100-year wonder. Consider the creator.
“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26 Think about how awesome this event is. Ponder the fact that when He set the moon, sun and stars in motion, He knew how they would orbit and when there paths would cross.

Happy eclipse day everyone!

KK

#eclipse2017, #eclipse

 

Hearing Other’s Thoughts

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What if could hear other people’s thoughts? Do you ever wonder when you’re standing in line behind a stranger, what are they thinking? Or if you notice someone noticing you, do you wonder what opinion they are forming?

In the 2000 romantic comedy, What Women Want, ladies man, Nick, through an electrical shock is given the ability to hear women’s thoughts; to peek behind the curtain into the psyche of the female mind. After being just a little freaked out about it, it’s explained to him to be a gift. But, would it really be a gift to hear other’s thoughts?

There are many women reading this right now thinking, yes! I would love to hear my husband’s thoughts and really know what goes on inside his brain. I get that. But we don’t. How many times have you thought something and then the discernment filter comes out added to a little wisdom and you don’t express the thought? How many arguments were avoided or hurt feelings preserved? On the other hand, do we miss opportunities to encourage and support?

The ability to hear others’ thoughts would be cheating ourselves of the journey to getting to know each other. Relationships are grown over time. We slowly reveal our selves to others as trust is built and our connection grows. It a melding of souls. For those we interact with who will remain strangers or acquaintances, let me encourage you to take notice and take the opportunity to share an encouraging word or thought. You never know, it may change the direction of their thoughts.

 

KK

Hospital Time Warp

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There have been two occasions recently that I found myself in the hospital, visiting not doctor visitbeing cared for. As when anyone goes to the sit with a friend or family member it was impossible to plan for how much time is needed. What I learned about the way time works within the walls of a hospital is that the clock measurements are secondary to the events that take place.

Time is measured from having a test run to when the results come back from it. The next measurement is what will happen from those results. A CAT scan is ordered. Wait. Go have CAT scan run. Wait. Receive the results. All clear, good, breathe, next steps. Wait. The doctor will be in with the official diagnosis. Wait. Meds are offered every four or six hours. Shift change. New nurses, another round of vitals. Dinner comes at 5:00 p.m. Food services do seem to use a regular clock. Perhaps food service workers are the links to living on real-world time.

As a visitor, it’s an odd feeling to walk out of the hospital time warp and back into normal timekeeping to realize 10 hours have passed. If I had started knowing I would be there for a long period, would I have planned differently? Taken snacks? To be honest, sitting in the hospital with a family member, time really doesn’t matter, only they do and making sure they are being cared for. The time warp of hospitals is necessary to keep the health of the patient the priority. Here’s hoping for less time spent in the hospital and especially in a hospital bed.

All the best,

KK

Christmas in July

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So it’s July. Half way through the year. How are things going? Do you still feel as optimistic as you did on January 1st? Take a few minutes today to do something to recapture that optimistic-goal-setting-dreaming state of mind. What if you recapture that feeling, revisit your goals and spend the next 150 or so days working toward accomplishing just one of those.

Let me know how that goes for you.

KK

My Soulmate

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Someone older and wiser than I once told me that in order to really get to know someone you should date them in all four seasons before getting married. While one year of dating doesn’t sample all possible joys and challenges life will offer, it does give you an glimpse.

My husband and I dated 50 weeks before we were married. Not quite a year. But we had been friends before that and had even traveled in groups together. Looking back, I remember things about him that attracted me to him even before I realized how much I cared for him.

He is a strong faith-driven man. He loves me and would lay down his life for us. It’s scary how much we think alike when it comes to family life, problem solving and some of the curve balls life throws.

When we married, he immediately became a step parent. For nine years he has handled this role with wisdom and love. Never rushing the relationship, he has become a mentor and dad to my son. He has sacrificed date nights, trips and things he wanted to do when parent-duty called. All because he agreed with me in the beginning that raising a confident child who would always know parents who love and support him is a priority.

Today is our ninth anniversary. I love our life together. Doing life on the busy days and the super-slow-stay in beds days, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We haven’t quite gotten to the point of finishing each other’s sentences, but it will come. Becoming soulmates has taken time, love and trust.

The next decade will bring a new level to our relationship. At some point we will be empty nesting and planning for another season. I have no doubt that we will do so holding hands, praying for each other and laughing about our secret jokes.

This week’s post honors my husband, Jay. Happy anniversary, honey. I love you.

K.

Everyone has a 4th of July, Americans have Independence Day

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Every country in the world has a 4th of July, but in America, we celebrate it as Independence Day. The day our founding fathers drew a line in the sand and said, no more! We will make our future as our own nation, our own country providing freedoms no country has offered their people in the history of the world. Men went to war so we could have that freedom. Centuries later and many wars later, we still want to protect those freedoms provided for us some 240 years ago. It’s getting harder. Wars are just as ugly. The definitions of freedom are getting skewed.

This weekend like many churches, ours held a special music program. It was all the songs that celebrate our free country. I stood in a sanctuary with 6,000 others singing about being a proud American. I am proud. We are a blessed nation. And I’m thankful for the millions of soldiers who chose to fight and continue today to defend our boarders and freedoms.

I heard the story of one veteran who was watching someone burn an American flag in protest. He said that everything in him wanted to stop the flag burning, but he was reminded that whether or not he agreed with burning a flag, he fought for that other person to have that freedom. The veteran didn’t understand why the protester did it, but he agreed in the freedom.

Being a proud American isn’t a political decision. It is a decision of citizenship. To live within our boarders, by our laws and participate in a community of people. You raise a family here, work and contribute to the greater good. Within this framework there are hundreds of choices we get to make — preferences on the kind of work, relationships and life we want as individuals.

So while you are grilling out, or playing yard games, look over at your neighbor doing the same thing. They may likely not share your faith, your lifestyle, or your skin tone. Give him a smile and a wave or a little head nod. In that moment you are both just Americans, celebrating freedom.

Happy Independence Day.

KK

GED Grad Day

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 Today we celebrate with GED Grads everywhere. Too many times we take for granted our education and the support we had from family to complete high school, college, or trade school. Get a skill and make your self marketable to employers. Easier said than done for some who live in our communities. It is very possible that you live or work within steps of someone who struggled in school or didn’t have the support of parents to complete even the most basic education. Those individuals either give up and settle for a minimum wage job (that doesn’t come close to supporting someone) or by their own fortitude they set their goal and found the resources to finish their high school education.

Today we say hats off to you. Congratulations on sticking with it and completing your GED.

What’s next? Set your next goal and go for it! You may not know us, but there are thousands of us cheering you on.

Please share this post with #GEDGradDay and encourage someone today.

All the best,

KK

In the silence

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The silence must have been deafening. After the yelling and the beating; the women crying. Jesus yielded his life. He died. Day turned into night. All was silent.