Michele Lee Rausch

Four years ago, my mom died.
She kept a very clean house, made three meals a day six days a week, and always craved an ice cold beer on a hot summer day.
She loved sports, taught me how to play basketball, never missed one of my volleyball games (all the way through college), adored the and , and beat everyone to the couch for football on Sundays.
She made her own clothes, loved working in the yard, and started teaching us how to cook as soon as we were old enough to push a chair up to the counter and help.
She loved a good nap.
She talked to her twin sister on the phone every day.
She ironed everything, even my dad’s handkerchiefs.
She never used a mop. She got down on her hands and knees and scrubbed the floors every Saturday.
She enjoyed a little reality TV now and then but not as much as her programs (Days of Our Lives and Another World).
She could beat anyone to the bottom of a spicy Bloody Mary and wouldn’t pass up a piece of cake or a plate of pancakes.
Although she sometimes had a sharp tongue and was a little more than tough on us, she showed me how to care for and love others.
She reminded me almost daily that I am beautiful, she never hung up the phone without saying “I love you,” and she said if she could wish anything for me, it would just be happiness.
I disappointed her many times. I failed, in so many ways. But she made sure to tell me how lucky she felt to have me as a daughter. And that’s how I know that people can love you simply because you exist.
Miss you mom.

Some people are so poor, all they’ve got is money.

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 I appreciate you!

Kevin KevinProctor, Wendie Bergstrom, Robyn Elizabeth Smith

Journey of Joy

There was a sale today. And I spent a ridiculous amount of money on flowers and plants. But there’s nothing like the beauty of new flowers for the house and the garden to bring tremendous joy! Y’all know I love flowers. I love to receive them. But I also like to buy them, plant them, propagate them, share them with the rest of the world. I love to get my bare feet in the soil while I’m working, grounding myself in nature, in the Earth. Every season offers an element of joy, that another season cannot, whether we are talking about nature or life. I am grateful.

I am bothered when people think they are so much busier than everyone else. I work 50-60 hours a week between my contracted job, my writing, and my personal crusade to teach communities about trauma. I am my father’s caregiver, officially, and a caregiver to everyone with whom I come in contact daily. I keep a house. I cook every day. I grow a wonderful garden. I paint. I like to foster comfort and beauty and love in the world.

And in between it all. In the slivers of time… the 3 minutes or 30 seconds or while I am driving in the car, I am thinking of YOU.

I will never be too busy for human connection, especially with the people I love.

My mom died on April 15th, 2022 but it was Good Friday that year. So Good Friday and Easter will always feel like the anniversary of her passing. Y’all know… I miss my mom every day.

When she died, my neighbor came by and gave me an Amaryllis. This year, on Good Friday, it bloomed. If that ain’t Betty Rausch saying hello, I don’t know what is.

This first picture is from the night before. The other two are from Good Friday afternoon. 😊🥰

Journey of Joy

Recreating a routine that was originally born out of necessity is difficult, especially when the reason for that routine no longer exits. Loss begets loss sometimes. So the loss of my beloved pet, my dog Shiloh, led to the loss of a routine that helped me maintain my health. Shiloh would have turned 15 years old today. What better day is there to get back into that routine of walking twice a day than today?

🙌🏻

💕 Thanks for the chat! https://www.mariashriversundaypaper.com/when-spirituality-is-found-where-you-least-expect-it/