Laurel’s Blog :: Page 2 :: Laurel Jean Becker ~ Pathways

Blowing in the Wind

· Sunday, May 6th, 2018

· 16 Comments

My daughter recently told me that on her way to work she noticed a caterpillar on a too-long strand trying to weave a cocoon in the wind, causing it to struggle. The image of that cocoon shifting in the wind kept popping into my head, perhaps because I’ve felt very much like it lately—the winds of life whipping me one way and then another: uncertainty in my future direction, inability…

Packing Light

· Saturday, April 7th, 2018

· 5 Comments

Okay, I admit it. I’m notorious for packing the proverbial kitchen sink. When I hear the term “packing light,” I can’t help but smile. I’ve worked hard to become efficient at packing, and it’s taken a long time. Fear of the unknown necessitated that I pack for every eventuality–a behavior rooted in insecurity. Heaven forbid I find myself in an unfamiliar place without some small item like my personal shampoo…

Dealing With My Inner Editor

· Monday, January 15th, 2018

· 4 Comments

Those of you who understand a love/hate relationship will know what I’m talking about when I share that my inner editor is both loved and hated—and often at the same time. A writer’s inner editor is part of the executive function and self-regulation of the brain. Children aren’t born with these skills, but they are born with the potential to develop them. The full range of abilities continues to grow…

Barren Branches

· Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

· 7 Comments

I glanced out my window at a beautiful sky. The sun was setting and the combination of cloud effect and angle of rays brought a rose softness to everything—as if the air itself were tinted. I went outside to experience the beauty. Rolls of clouds wound from one end of the sky to the other and one behind the other, like waves on a beach, acting as prisms to the…

Never Hang Up Your Dancing Shoes

· Thursday, November 9th, 2017

· 9 Comments

Last night I dreamed I was dancing again. At one point, Randy and I were dancing together. In reality, Randy doesn’t dance, but it’s my dream, and I can dream what I want. Woke up feeling refreshed and happy. Most people don’t know that I danced as a young woman—ballet, ballroom, line dancing, Texas two-step—anything that my dates could or would put up with. Shortly after we were married Randy…

Box Canyon

· Wednesday, July 12th, 2017

· 6 Comments

Remember when western movies and TV shows about cowboys were popular? Box canyons were an expedient part of the plot. They have steep walls on three sides, allowing access and escape only through the mouth of the canyon or by climbing its walls. Actually, box canyons were used in the American west as convenient corrals with only the entrance fenced. In the movies or on TV, the good guys chased…

Taking Control

· Monday, June 19th, 2017

· 10 Comments

This week, I discovered something new about myself. I know, I know, I’m old enough that everything about myself should already have been not only discovered, but patented. Recently, I spoke to my husband about my unhappiness, while at the same time reassuring him that he is not the source of it. However, after several months of unhappiness resurfacing, I still hadn’t found the cause. I’m a big believer in…

Beginning…

· Thursday, May 4th, 2017

· 12 Comments

…again. I wonder how a writer who has written for so long can be hesitant to continue. No matter how many years I’ve done this, a new writing project brings up the same anxieties: an insistence that I “cook” the material longer—in order to delay beginning; a lack of confidence in my ability to accomplish the project; not knowing how or where my characters will lead; wondering how long the…

Memories of Boat Bobbing

· Wednesday, March 29th, 2017

· 12 Comments

Yesterday morning, as my husband emptied the dishwasher, he suddenly said, “Remember boat bobbing?” A smile immediately came to my face as I swayed with the remembered motion of our boat bobbing up and down with the movement of the water. What brought this to mind was that we woke to a soft, gentle rain encouraging us both to consider curling up with a real page-turner. “Remember the sun on…

The Cemeterian

· Wednesday, March 15th, 2017

· 6 Comments

Recently, my favorite TV show, Sunday Morning, featured a segment on a cleaning professional who spends his days off from work cleaning the tombstones of our veterans. He then researches their lives and posts their stories on his website. He loves bringing these veterans back to life. What a remarkable man! I began to get tears in my eyes. This man spends his day off cleaning the tombstones of those…

Blowing in the Wind

Packing Light

Dealing With My Inner Editor

Barren Branches

Never Hang Up Your Dancing Shoes

Box Canyon

Taking Control

Beginning…

Memories of Boat Bobbing

The Cemeterian

Enjoy what you’re reading?

Tales from Weaver Pond

In the Heart of a Quiet Garden

Laurel's Links

Subscribe to my blogs