Category Archives: Essays

day 349

it looks good
.
on
paper, of course,
but
in reality
we the people erroneously
believed
all men meant all of us…
written by rich, white
landowning
men…really meant men
with no guarantee of freedom,
liberty, happiness for the rest
amendments bought and sold for souls
highest bidders, proved to be soulless

~kat

pi sequence used for the syllable count of this poem: 3.141592653589

Spending time with family this past week, my daughters, their husbands, my nine-plus grandchildren (two have spouses of their own) and my two great grandchildren…had me wondering what the next year will bring. For the girls whose personal autonomy is being whittled away, for the boys who may face being called to serve the newly minted department of war which is escalating tension around the world, for each little family unit making ends meet as prices keep increasing and for all of them as healthcare and education are being dismantled.

I heard a commentator say that the constitution that we all look to protect our liberty and freedom was in fact written by white, landowning men, some of whom owned slaves. Those words we hold dear, “all men are created equal”, written by men, was in fact written for men, very specific men. It would be decades or more before amendments were added to this hallowed document to cover the rest of us. The non-white men. And as we are seeing the constitution with all its flaws means little to the current leaders who want to return us to what they seem to believe our forefathers intended.

As each year winds down I typically assess the previous 12 months, the good, the bad, and where I want to go in the coming year. This year has been a sobering exercise. But I am so glad I had the forethought to look for glimmers every day. Some days all I could find were sun rises and sets. Some days it was kindness, many days it was nature reminding me about what it means to trust the resilience and surety of the seasons and all the beautiful cycles of life.

As I look to 2026, I do hope that it is not too late to turn this ship around toward compassion, freedom, opportunity, prosperity, peace, and equality for all. It seems like a lofty goal. But history is full of miracles. This year I am hoping for a big one for all of us.

Much, love, peace, and glimmers to you!

~kat

✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨

Speaking of glimmers…there is this little guy who knows the only perfect way to eat raspberries. And a reminder from the imagination of my youngest grandson…when life gives you raspberries…you know what to do! Pop them on your fingers and gobble them up one by one. We owe him a beautiful future.


day 347

post solstice

and then, just like that
the light grows a bit brighter
putting dusk on pause

~kat

When I was much younger there was always a certain magic in the air during the holidays. I still feel it. My heart memories remind me what time of year it is. Yes! The sun is getting brighter day by day.

Another glimmer….Gabby ~ a close up view. She always makes me smile.

much love, peace, and glimmers to you! however you may celebrate during this time of year…may it be happy.

~kat

✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨


day 346

sunsets

another sunset
paints the sky in amber hues
no two are alike
so remember this moment
before night swallows the dusk

~kat

I never tire of this view, but it occurred to me that tonight’s sunset will only exist for several minutes before it is gone…the sun having dipped below the horizon and the clouds floating by only to fade into the night sky. Tonight’s sunset was a one time event, never to be seen again ( if not for the photo that I captured at just the moment the sky turned golden).

How many moments slip through our fingers everyday without us ever noticing. This thing or that might be the last time you ever experience it, but we never know, do we? I mention this not to suggest that you or anyone or myself should live their life moment to moment with intensity. That’s just exhausting! But I do encourage each of us to pause to savor the moments that capture our attention. Those moments are random. They are miraculous snapshots of the best life has to offer us in the moment. Even grief and sorrow have their place in this quest to be wrapped in the moment. A lifetime of moments is no small thing. You may not remember them all, but if you stop to take them in you will have memories to sustain you, to remind you of where you came from and who you are.

Much love, peace and glimmers to you!

~kat

✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨


day 345

Today’s Glimmer…Remember my African Violet plant? It was actually three plants in one pot. Several months ago I transplanted them…they have a lovely afternoon sun window seat…and I would say the separation of these conjoined triplets was a success. (Knock on wood 😊) Stay tuned for the first blooms!

My family is spread out in all directions. It takes several hours to get to each other for a visit. If you can catch them home that is. We are so busy these days. Our “Christmas” holiday happened weeks ago ( requiring overnight accommodations due to the distance ). It was lovely but not everyone could make it. So this week as we enter into the actual holiday rush, it feels a bit weird.

I find myself celebrating contemplative holidays these days. Quiet, peaceful, restful. It’s not the big gatherings I’d imagined I’d be spending. I’ve long since reconciled reality with expectation. And I’ve learned to savor every opportunity I do get to be with my children, their children, and their children’s children. Generations come and go so quickly don’t they? We only get a short time on this planet. May we live each moment in moments rich with the gift of presence.

We had a busy few days and I missed sharing a few glimmers with you. Rather than catch up, I’m leaving you with a photo of my trio of African Violet plants. And a few little streams of haiku-style consciousness.

much love, peace, and glimmers to you.

~kat


1-
Solstice

days feel lighter
earth on its axis tilting
night wanes bit by bit

2-
generational shifts

fate doles its sentence
generations slip away
names written in dust

3-
leafless

the sun glares harshly
through leafless trees in winter
blotting out the sky

4-
don’t look back

some days I look back
trying to find memories
it makes now jealous

5-
civil unrest

one day you will see
everything will be okay
today’s not that day


today’s poems in reVerse

today’s not that day
trying to find memories
blotting out the sky
names written in dust
night wanes bit by bit

~kat


day 344

An odd glimmer…unless you know the story behind the photo.
being kind
.
life
is hard sometimes
things
can change overnight
and in those times of adversity
we learn
the truth I of who we are
the simplest kind acts
can heal us
compassion through pain

~kat

Some of you know that the past several years have challenged my family more than we could have imagined. My wife suffered a debilitating illness as a result of medical mistakes, resulting in loss of income and most heartbreaking, the end of a career she loved. Ironically, as a healthcare progressional herself, the treatment errors have felt like a betrayal, only adding to the trauma. I have watched her fight for her life from the abyss of depression, remembering who she is and finding new ways to be. She deals with daily unrelenting pain, and has to navigate the world on wheels now, and yet she is kind. Every Friday she loads herself into her truck, fitted to allow her to drive, and volunteers at a wildlife rescue center.

Life can change in an instant. But we can choose to meet challenges with grace, determination, and kindness.

much love, peace, and glimmers to you.

~kat

✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨