Write with TLC

We all inhabit this Earth together, all of us. Our Earth is the heart of humanity, of life as we know it. Without the Earth, the lifeblood that supports humanity, all life, to survive ceases to be. People's reluctance to safeguard our Earth would be more of a surprise if people weren't so reluctant to care for their own hearts and bodies until they suffer a catastrophic scare. We treat both our bodies and our planet as if they owe us instead of acknowledging the role they play in our existence. Treatment of our bodies and our Earth are so intertwined that when we mistreat one we harm the other. When we treat one well, treating the other better follows naturally, at least to some degree. When I started really looking into how to be healthy, I kept coming back to the same things. Eat well, put fewer toxins in and on my body, and use fewer chemicals in my life. It took me a little longer to acknowledge those same things are necessary to keep the Earth vibrant and productive....

Last week I talked about lifelong friendships and I alluded to friendships that don't last. This week I want to focus on those friendships that don't last. A friendship that doesn't last isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes we meet people that we really connect with in the moment and for a time to come, but then circumstances make maintaining that friendship difficult. Perhaps over time we drift apart or our interests change or life takes us in different directions. It doesn't mean we stop feeling fondness for these people, but it might mean that the friendship goes dormant or even ends. Regardless the friendship changes in ways that break the connection. Without the ease with which we connected before, we don't find the way to stay in touch. Of course there are also those times when a friendship ends over a disagreement or a betrayal or some other hurtful event. Those friendships are harder to heal and some never do, as painful as that might be. Ot...

BFAAF. Best friends always and forever. I remember writing BFAAF many times to this friend or that friend when I was in high school and maybe into college. It seemed like such a sweet sentiment because it showed how close my friendships were. Even then I wondered about the idea of always and forever because that's a long time, it's like twice eternity, right? Yet, some friendships last. They aren't the ones who need affirmations like BFA&F even if sometimes we do share the sentiment aloud or in writing. Lifelong friendships often become chosen family. These friends and I can vehemently disagree one minute and toast one another's successes the next. Sometimes we can go for months or even years without talking and then within minutes of reconnecting feel like we've never been apart. But, they are also the friends who are most likely to make the effort to stay connected even if only in a small way. It's the thread that frays, but doesn't unravel, that can...

Independence... We romanticize the concept of independence until it loses the edge of reality. We think of independence as setting us apart from others. We celebrate independence even as we depend on others for much of the life we live. We celebrate independence even as we seek to control others. How can we be independent when we squelch the independence of others? If our independence requires the conquer of others, neither party can truly be free. Independence isn't about fireworks or wars or declarations or parties or even family.  The very idea of family stands in the face of independence. We first learn the art of dependence from our families. We learn to depend on one another and help one another and fight one another and make up with one another in our families. Eventually, we move away from family and become "independent", but even that independence comes with a caveat. We find friends to lean on and help us and fight with and make up with. We find people...