My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 27

Today's writing prompt is to write about work. Work meant something very different to the older generation. To them, work meant getting up early and working a job that usually required hard physical labor. They worked on the farm taking care of animals before the sun came up each morning. They tilled the garden months in advance to prepare the soil for the seeds. 

The women worked, too. They took care of the home and the children, which was a full-time job that demanded their attention at all times. Women also picked the vegetables in the garden and prepared them for canning. That is hard work! 

When I was a little girl, I'd help my Granny silk corn from the garden. That meant I would have to take a brush and go over and over the corn until all the fine "hair" was gone. The "hair" was thin yellow strands that you definitely didn't want to eat. Then, Granny would cut all the kernels off the ear of corn. We'd do that over and over until every ear of corn was done.

I also remember standing over a simmering pot of tomatoes that were cooking over the burner Granny and Papa had set up outside. The fresh tomatoes they'd picked that morning were now being cooked down so Granny could can them later.

It was usually hot and humid when we did this, so as I watched the tomatoes bubble up in the pot, my face would bead with sweat. It was made worse by the heat emanating from underneath the pot. I knew it'd be worth it, though when I wanted some homemade tomato soup in the winter.

The generation of young people today weren't brought up in the same manner. Things have been a lot easier for us. We have the conveniece of technology meaning everything is at our finger tips. We don't know what it means to be patient because all companies are striving to make everything faster and better. Many of us don't know the value of hard work because we haven't had to struggle.

If there is one thing my grandparents have taught me it is that anything worth having comes by work. If you don't work and apply yourself, you will never succeed. In a day where everyone is taking shortcuts, I choose to be different. I choose to take a little extra time and give a little more effort than is required.

Why do I do this? I do it because I know the value of work. Work isn't just something you do to get a paycheck. Work is necessary in all aspects of life, in the home and on the job. If you don't work to maintain something, it will eventually fall apart. May we all remember the saying, "A little hard work never hurt anyone."

My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 26

Today's prompt is to write about disappointment. I've been disappointed about things and people many times in my life, but I'm going to share a story that marked me.

I was in middle school. It was the time when everyone was invited for sleepovers. I invited one of my friends over and I was SO excited!

My mom bought me a new comforter that day. It was light blue with little white daisies. I made sure my room was clean. I wanted everything to be perfect for my friend!

After awhile I started asking my mom, "I wonder when Lily(name is changed) will be here? I can't wait for Lily to get here! We're going to have so much fun!"

I waited and waited. I never got a phone call. "Maybe Lily's mom is just running late." I couldn't think of another reason why she wasn't here yet.

The darkness outside my window let me know it would soon be nighttime. Still no Lily. I crawled into my bed and tucked my clean sheets around me. "I bet Lily will show up!" I said, still holding out hope that she'd show up at my house any minute.

Finally, Mama said something. She'd been quiet in the midst of my excitement and never-ending questions about Lily. "I don't think she's coming, Madison."

"What? Why would she do that? She IS coming! I know it!" I went to bed half sad and half mad. I was sad because deep down I knew my mom was right, and mad at Lily and myself for wasting all my afternoon waiting on someone who probably wasn't even thinking about me.

Lily never came for the sleepover. I was hurt. I wanted to spend time with my friend, but she didn't want to spend time with me, and I didn't know why.

I didn't let that experience break me. I still tried my best to be friends with people - even Lily. Even when you are disappointed, you have a choice. You can let it make you bitter or better. You can shut down and close off from the rest of the world, but you will be limiting yourself. 

You will be missing out on laughter and great times. Don't let one bad experience taint your view of everyone. You won't be friends with everyone, but there are people out there who will love you for who you are.

If you're wondering, I have forgiven Lily for what she did. I learned to not let my happiness be determined by someone else. 

My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 24

Today's prompt is to cut the fluff. There isn't a specific topic to write about. The only rule is to not use that or very and try not to use adverbs.

Ponderings of the Heart

If wisdom is better than silver or gold, how much do I have? Are my actions that of a wise person or a fool? Do I keep silent or do I fall into the trap set before me?

Am I walking the narrow path, the one less traveled? Have I gotten lazy? Have I strayed from the course I know is right?

I say I am generous, but am I withholding things I can give?

Do my words fall on deaf ears, yet I still talk and talk, never really helping the person? 

I read a passage that says, "He who offends loves strife." Who have I offended today? Even if I didn't realize it, do I love stirring up trouble? I must be thoughtful in the words I choose. It is more important than ever to walk humbly before the Lord. 

Do I thirst for knowledge and understanding as much as I do material things? 

I can't look at the life someone else is living. I have to examine my own heart. I have to look at my own motives. Why do I do the things I do? Why do I say the things I say? My prayer is "Create a clean heart in me, Lord. Renew a right spirit within me." 

I know I don't always do the things Jesus would do. I don't always have the right attitude. Help me, Lord, to surrender to you every day knowing that Your ways are better than mine. Help me to trust You to direct my steps. Help me to be quiet when I know it would do no good to say anything. When my words won't help someone or encourage them, they don't need to be said.

What areas am I failing in? What can I change? I know I can be kinder. The Bible says, "A soft answer turns away wrath." I know this, but am I practicing it? I want it to become second nature, but I haven't gotten there yet.

I am thankful for patience and mercy. It seems like I am tested in these areas every day. I am learning to overlook things that would have bothered me in the past. People are human. Even if I don't agree with something they said or the way they said it, I realize they are not me. They are not going to talk like me. Their words may come out a little differently, but they mean well. If they didn't care, they wouldn't bother to say anything at all. 

I am thankful for every new day because it is a day I get to try again. If I messed up yesterday, I can do better today. There is no time like today to love deeper and be kinder. I've noticed the more I love others, the more peace and joy I have in my life. You know why? If I'm loving others, I won't have time to be critical. I won't have time to point out their flaws. When you feel the urge to lash out in anger, I challenge you to respond in love instead. You'll be surprised how the situation changes!

My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 23

Today’s prompt is to write the end of my novel.

I am free from the wheelchair and walker. I am walking everywhere, better than ever before. My steps are steady. It’s not a struggle.

I am independent, able to take care of myself. Pain is a distant memory. My days are filled with exciting adventures and fulfilling projects.

I used to wonder what it would be like to stand tall again. Now I am doing it. Unashamed and unfraid. My latter truly is greater than my past.

Nothing holds me back. The sky is the limit to what I can accomplish. I can say without a doubt that my pain didn’t stop me. It propelled me forward. It launched me into what I am doing today.

I spend my days sharing my story with people from all over the world. My struggles, my fears…all of it. I share it not from a place of pity, but a place of victory. I share from a place of victory now. I have climbed the mountain of sickness and overcome it. I have climbed the mountain of physical pain and overcome it. YOU can, too. No matter what you are facing today, something better is just over the horizon!

It is not uncommon for me to be in Seattle one day and Spain the next. People are hurting everywhere. If I can bring hope to one person who has been beaten down by the circumstances of life, it is worth it.

It is a privilege to give my life away others. For so long I was dependent on others to help me, now I get to be that support system for someone else. I get to extend my hand to lift them out of the pit. I get to show them that anything is possible if they just believe.

That is what I live for! I used the words of doubt and hate and misunderstanding as stepping stones to greatness. You have something of value to give to the world. Stop hiding! Stop using excuses. You can make a difference now. You don’t have to wait until you are a certain age.

If I can say anything to you: Love yourself with all your flaws. Don’t try to change who you are to fit in. There is only one you! Embrace life with everything you have. Don’t draw back from a challenge. Face it. The courage is within you – you just have to see it. No, your body may not change. Things may not get easier at first. But the more you face the obstacles of life, the stronger you become.

As I am standing on the stage in front of thousands of people, I am reminded of one statement that changed my life. As I look out into the crowd of faces, I am struck with gratitude for this opportunity. With tears in my eyes, I say, “I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, but I believe in you. Whether you are eight years old, or eighty, I believe in you.”

The crowd was so quiet you could hear the rustling of papers throughout the auditorium.

“I believe that each of you haven’t reached your full potential. Shake off the worries of yesterday and the what ifs of tomorrow and just live life. Do what you’ve been afraid of doing.”

My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 22

Fear. I thought I had faced this unwelcome enemy many times before, but on August 3, 2017, I was dealt a blow that knocked the breath out of me. That was the day my mom was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. This was a fear I had never known before.

It didn’t make sense. The diagnosis came out of nowhere, like a predator lying in wait to strike its prey at the moment it is least expected. Cancer is an enemy you can’t see. One minute my mom was healthy, able to do her job and whatever else she wanted to do. 

The next minute she was a cancer patient. Her calendar quickly filled up with doctor’s appointments. I didn’t know what to make of this. I was usually the one who needed to see a doctor. Mama was NEVER sick! The most serious thing she’d ever had since I was alive was kidney stones.

Well-meaning people started talking about her dying the very same day she was diagnosed. I wasn’t even thinking about that.  I was still dealing with the fact that she was sick, not what might happen.

But then, I was lying in bed at night a few days after she got the news and the thoughts crept in: “I haven’t even learned how to drive yet. Who will help take me places? Who will teach me to drive? If something does happen to Mama, how will I make it alone?” Fear and anxiousness kept me awake. Every time Mama coughed in her sleep, I asked, “Are you alright?” I just had a hard time processing the cold hard truth. My Mama had cancer and I didn’t like it one bit.

I wanted to fix it. I wanted to make it better, but there was nothing I could do. When the doctor said too much estrogen in her body caused her cancer and soy feeds on estrogen, I became paranoid. He said to avoid soy whenever possible. I started looking at labels. Soy is in everything. I mean EVERYTHING. Even vitamins, mayonnaise, crackers…you name it and soy is more than likely in it.

Once I came to terms with Mama’s new normal and that she was going to be okay after radiation treatments, fear gripped me. I’m 27. I was 26 at the time. I didn’t want cancer, but if it happened to Mama, it could happen to me.

I hate cancer. I hate that it destroys bodies. Mama knew I wanted to be there to support her through her appointments, but I didn’t have the strength to be at everyone. She said, “The best thing you can do for me is pray.” I said, “I don’t feel like that is much.” She said, “It’s more than most people do.”

I decided several months ago to not let fear win. I gave all my worries and fears to God. He has ALWAYS taken care of my family, and there was no reason He wouldn’t see us through this.

My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 21

I wrote this yesterday, but my Internet was out until just now. 

Today’s prompt is about sharing a confession. Boy, do I have a story for you!

It was a sunny day and our science class was going outside to do an experiment. We needed to find leaves around the playground. I think the lesson was something about how reflection works.

Ms. Merritt handed each of us a magnifying glass. “Class, if you hold the mangnifying glass over the leaf, with the sun directly piercing through the middle of the glass, it will burn a hole in the leaf.”

We were so excited to do this! I crouched down on the pavement, careful to follow Ms. Merritt’s instructions. Soon, I saw smoke coming from the leaf. It was no longer a vibrant green leaf. Now, it had a hole in the center with black char around it.

I did it! Ms. Merritt let us take the magnifying glasses home. When Granny picked Eli and I up from school, my mind was still on the science experiment. Just before I got out of the old Caprice, affectionately known as “The Granny car,” I got an idea.

“I wonder if I could burn a hole in something else,” I thought to myself. For a few minutes, I held the magnifying glass up to the roof of the car. The sunlight hit the glass just right. Boom! A little puff of smoke started forming. Then a flame that scorched the gray material.  I blew on it, still in disbelief at what I saw. This wasn’t how I pictured it…at all. The once grey car roof now had a nice black spot where I burnt the roof of Granny’s car. Yes, you read that right!

I’m sure the conversation between Granny and me went something like this:

“Um…Granny?

Granny: What is it?

Me: I burnt a hole in the roof of your car.

Granny: You WHAT?

Me: I burnt a hole in the roof of your car. We did a science experiment at school and I just wanted to try it at home.

Granny: (rushing outside to look at the damage) "Oh, my Lord! You really did burn a hole in my car!”

I don’t remember what my punishment was, but I know I didn’t get to see or touch a magnifying glass for a very long time! Papa gave me a lecture about it, saying, “Now, Madison, what did you do that for? You know we don’t burn holes in things.”

It’s been years since that happened, and I still remember it. Granny did get the roof of her car fixed, thankfully.

The moral of the story is this: It is okay to get excited about learning something new, just don’t take it too far.

My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 20

Today's prompt says to write about about an important cause.

A cause that's important to me is unity. We aren't unified, and this is the time it is most needed. Martin Luther King said, ".... I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character..."

I have a dream that one day we will be unified. Not fighting to prove who is better, stronger, or smarter, but seeing that we are stronger together.

I have a dream that one day we will see the bigger picture. The one that shows that everyone has value.

We have so many schisms, so many divisions. We have broken each other down, but we need to build each other up.

I have a dream that humanity will be whole. To do that we must put aside our differences. We must stop fighting amongst ourselves and with ourselves. Our true enemy is not a person. It is the whole system of the way the world operates. Things have been set up to cause us to hate each other. Hate will never breed unity. Hate only breeds hate.

Love breeds unity. Compassion breeds unity. Connection and relationship breed unity. We don't even know what unity means. We are so disconnected from everything. We are merely existing. We are content to just do things on the surface level, afraid of the truths we would uncover if we dared to go a little deeper.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we can't be our best self if we are not unified. We have to have others in our life if we want to succeed and thrive. Think of it this way, a branch will wither and die if it's not connected to a vine. We have abandoned our life source because we have fooled ourselves into thinking we are self-sufficient.

Our nation is not unified because we don't know what we believe. Our nation is not unified because families are divided. We are not unified because we still think our voice should be the loudest. We are not unified because we love criticism. I dare to say we thrive on it because it is everywhere. We have stopped looking for the good things happening around us. We argue just for the sake of arguing, never achieving anything.


To achieve unity, we have to work towards agreement. We have to want peace more than we want to be right. When something is united, it is about the sum of all the parts coming together. It is no longer about an individual or a group of people. It is about everyone. We have to be willing to say, "Your vision is now my vision. Your heart is my heart. When you hurt, I hurt. When you rejoice, I rejoice."

I have faith we will get to that place one day. Oh, what a day that will be! As Martin Luther King beautifully stated, "With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 19

Today's prompt requires me to borrow the voice of one of my favorite authors, which would be Denise Hildreth.

She crept down the hallway, careful not to wake the kids. As she cracked the door, her heart swelled with pride. "I played a part in creating these awesome little humans," she said, smiling.

The day started out like any other day. Working in the rose garden as the sun bathed the surroundings in a glorious light. Jeanne was thankful for these quiet moments before the whole world woke up.  It's when she liked to talk to God the most.

"God? Can you hear me? I know it's been awhile since we've talked. I need your help. I don't know if I can be a mayor's wife. Many days I don't even feel like I am a good wife period. If this is really what you want Paul to do - what you want our family to do - please give me a sense of peace. Let me know this is really the right thing."

Jeanne finished pruning her roses and clipped a few dusty pink ones to put in the vase near the kitchen table.

"Mom, I'm hungry! What's for breakfast?" Jack yelled.

"I made some blueberry muffins. They are warming in the oven."

"Thanks, Mom!"

As she suspected, Lily hadn't moved one inch since she checked on her this morning. Her brown hair was tousled in every direction, but Jeanne didn't mind. Paul was already eight, so she was determined to savor Lily's babyhood every chance she got.

Finally, Lilly plodded downstairs to the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She, too, woofed down a blueberry muffin. "More!" she squealed delightfully.

After everyone was fed and dressed, it was time to take Jack to school. Jeanne loaded up the kids. When they got to the school, Jack and Lily were very popular with the teachers. 

"Hey, Paul!" one said, as they helped him cross in front of the line of cars.

"Miss, Lily! Just what have you been up to today?" Mr. Robbie asked. Mr. Robbie was the school security officer. His job was to make sure everyone stayed safe.

"I'm going to play with my dolls!" Lily replied.

"That sounds like fun! Wish I could join you," Mr. Robbie said.

"Maybe you can come over to my house one day, Mr. Robbie."

"I'd like that, Miss Lily. I'd like that very much."

Mr. Robbie had to help other kids. Jeanne and Lily pulled away from the school. They were going to an awesome place - Wilson's diner.

Jeanne stopped at Wilson's diner at least twice a week for their scrumptious scones and lemon pie, but also the company. You never know who would be at Wilson's diner, but there was always at least two people you knew.

Jeanne and Lily sat down at the table.

Not long after someone stopped to chat. "Is that Lily?" Virginia Stapleton exclaimed. "She just gets prettier and prettier each time I see her!"

"Yes, Virginia. That's Lily."

"Is everything going alright?"

"We are fine."

"Are you sure you want Paul running for mayor?" Virginia asked.

Jeanne felt a surge of strength and confidence pulsate through her. Just weeks before, she wanted to pass out every time she heard the word mayor, but this time things were different. Maybe this was God's way of letting her know everything was going to be just fine.

"Yes, I will support him in whatever he does."