avatarLiberty Forrest, Author

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10619

Abstract

a href="undefined">Carrie Kolar</a> — bless her poor nose — wrote a surprisingly entertaining and inspiring piece about her illness. Now <i>that’s</i> talent!</p><div id="33cf" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/i-have-a-sinus-infection-and-heres-why-i-m-ecstatic-9808666cf29f"> <div> <div> <h2>I Have A Sinus Infection, and Here’s Why I’m Ecstatic</h2> <div><h3>Woohoo, being sick!!!</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*kav9Sb75vIrfZ5d6YP1JQA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="66dd"><a href="undefined">Susie Kearley</a> lost her beloved aunt last week and I’m sure I can speak for all of us in offering our deepest sympathies. She wrote a beautiful piece about cherishing our loved ones and it is well worth taking to heart:</p><div id="baec" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/cherish-your-loved-ones-c706cecf4694"> <div> <div> <h2>Cherish Your Loved Ones</h2> <div><h3>They can be gone in a flash and then it’s too late</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*N4oOHkDeLoCrnyE6)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="8670"><a href="undefined">Dina Alexander</a> shared a highly inspiring story about resilience, and in particular, she shared her personal experience with anxiety and how she overcame it:</p><div id="c3fa" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/with-resilience-you-can-face-anything-d4e4bc3fd0e2"> <div> <div> <h2>With Resilience You Can Face Anything</h2> <div><h3>And it’s not a case of having or not having it</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*QP08AHKM6dtX1joL)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="8b1a">She shared another about the power of positive thinking, of shifting mindset when you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed:</p><div id="5c35" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-truth-about-looking-back-b27142357149"> <div> <div> <h2>The Truth About Looking Back</h2> <div><h3>View every experience as an opportunity to help yourself and others</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*F_fIXVDk-fCtFyK8)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="9452"><a href="undefined">Tamil</a> offered up some giggles in conversations with her young daughter. Oh, my…this young mama is the Queen of Comebacks! Take a look:</p><div id="8274" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/fun-bits-for-super-cool-mommies-1900f37065a"> <div> <div> <h2>Fun Bits for Super Cool Mommies</h2> <div><h3>Mommies are fun too!</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*LRfeRxoObDNgy2VTffOcMg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="7df0"><a href="undefined">Karen Schwartz</a> realised why her mornings were suddenly feeling “off” and what she did to put them right again. Hint: it’s something near and dear to my heart and can impact every one of you!</p><div id="986e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/i-take-my-morning-coffee-with-milk-please-no-sugar-or-angst-395d612dafd9"> <div> <div> <h2>I Take My Morning Coffee With Milk, Please No Sugar or Angst.</h2> <div><h3>Although I watch my sugar intake, I still like my day to be sweet.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*4rGZvCdW8B_38qEy)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="4b84">Over on Shorties But Goodies!, <a href="undefined">Slow train</a> shared thoughts on getting from making a decision to taking action:</p><div id="3243" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/decide-what-to-be-and-go-be-it-e7134cf38e83"> <div> <div> <h2>‘Decide What To Be And Go Be It’</h2> <div><h3>Where would we be if we stopped dreaming about what we would like to do and instead just went out and did it?</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Tbs6zQK1pasmDYm7fb65KA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="5b74"><a href="undefined">Dina Alexander</a> shared a wonderfully cosy and delicious story about all the reasons to love winter! I detest the cold but even I can get on board with these! Take a look:</p><div id="7167" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-winters-are-making-the-world-a-better-place-a7f497bac51b"> <div> <div> <h2>How Winters are Making the World a Better Place</h2> <div><h3>Lockdown? Winter blues? Think again</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*j8fjS9D5h3YR807b)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="be13"><a href="undefined">Kris Bedenian</a> offered some great ideas to help you find answers when you need some clarity or direction:</p><div id="79fa" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/finding-the-correct-answers-in-life-67bcef7cc92c"> <div> <div> <h2>Finding the Correct Answers in Life</h2> <div><h3>“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*-Snwu-ckyXZ6P1lr)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="dd38">She also shared some thoughts on how the past can be a gift:</p><div id="6ecc" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/learning-from-your-past-is-a-gift-1b374530b26"> <div> <div> <h2>Learning From Your Past Is a Gift</h2> <div><h3>“Examination of our past is never time-wasting. Reverberations from the past provide learning rubrics for living…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*0ABVKocAz_Z2zf86)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="37ff">This one from Kris was an incredible story of triumph over <i>tragedies </i>— plural— in 150 words. I was amazed at what she crammed into such a short story:</p><div id="537c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/hope-can-heal-your-heart-478e672befae"> <div> <div> <h2>Hope Can Heal Your Heart</h2> <div><h3>“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*QECYR1uX4UcJESkN)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="2745">She’s also got some ideas about making your dreams come true:</p><div id="1cb0" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/are-you-traveling-for-the-holidays-51abb3826a6d"> <div> <div> <h2>Are You Traveling for the Holidays?</h2> <div><h3>“If you can visualize it, if you can dream it, there’s some way to do it.”</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*lq59R-hgjugBGxdP)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="a180"><a href="undefined">Isabel Young</a> wrote about some important health information that can benefit everyone — and it’s often a topic people don’t discuss:</p><div id="9295" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/probiotics-are-living-bacteria-that-can-help-maintain-a-healthy-gut-47e5894b150f"> <div> <div> <h2>Probiotics are living bacteria that can help maintain a healthy gut.</h2> <div><h3>Some people get their probiotics from fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi. Others take them in the form of…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*hjlrzSK7LFf5Ew5j6J_p5g.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="47d4"><a href="undefined">Karen Schwartz</a> had a backwards experience and ended up writing a handful of short stories as a result. Here we go:</p><div id="4242" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/im-having-a-backwards-sort-of-day-3819fb774218"> <div>

Options

<div> <h2>I’m having a backwards sort of day.</h2> <div><h3>While reading current articles to ones written before them by the same author, I’m seeing the meaning of each story…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*48heQZhBr-NTZcbT)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="b132">This compelled her to write a three-part story — backwards. You can see them here:</p><div id="29e9" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/backward-story-part-four-85d1948b592e"> <div> <div> <h2>Backward story — Part four</h2> <div><h3>Thank you for reading my backward story — hopefully, all three parts. See them here.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*k22u9hj92hXNdD2_)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="5cbe"><a href="undefined">Nicole Hilbig</a> wrote a wonderful short story about what happens when you try something new. I love this one so much; I suppose it sums up a lot of my life:</p><div id="1b0c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-its-important-to-sometimes-go-unknown-ways-ef96292e61d4"> <div> <div> <h2>Why It’s Important to Sometimes Go Unknown Ways</h2> <div><h3>„Sometimes you have to stop trying to force it, walk away and let your subconscious show you the way. Fill up on life…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*ig_rJy2QOa7lY-B3q3ybtA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="c1f0">She shared another interesting one about a different view of mindfulness!!</p><div id="0693" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-mindfulness-can-be-dangerous-for-you-eaa11a7e2543"> <div> <div> <h2>Why Mindfulness Can Be Dangerous For You</h2> <div><h3>Mindfulness rituals such as mediation, breathing exercises and gratitude notes help us to slow down the stressful…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*IWTXXpXxujHffAsE7VoqIQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="fa01">Newcomer <a href="undefined">Muhammad Abdullah</a> wrote an amusing bit of fiction that I thought was real! (I had to write to ask!)</p><div id="2b84" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-first-love-of-a-doctor-ca08ab9ef22b"> <div> <div> <h2>The First Love of a Doctor</h2> <div><h3>A humorous story of a Doctor-to-be</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*TpaD2rSeBzknYqmv8Ibx7Q.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="386a"><a href="undefined">Laura Izquierdo</a> wrote an interesting short story about rituals! I hope her family buckles up for the next couple of weeks; it’s going to be fun!</p><div id="aa7e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-my-special-rituals-will-bring-joy-to-your-life-b53eacf9cf4f"> <div> <div> <h2>Why My Special Rituals Will Bring Joy To Your Life</h2> <div><h3>There can never be too many special moments</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*tO5xTQqi8kvG3EzM)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><figure id="6840"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*ZdwSmEgpWNCu64qMV7RCbQ.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p id="be50">As this year draws to a close, another brand new, shiny one is waiting to be opened just like a giant journal (ohhhh with soft, silky paper and a fountain pen!!). It’s waiting for you to fill it up with 365 whole days of your life.</p><p id="d631">Many people use this time as a period of self-reflection. Taking a little trip inward, they want to leave behind what didn’t work and take only the good stuff into the new year.</p><p id="b373">It doesn’t always work, but the more we focus on that intention and on taking steps toward making it happen, the more likely we are to get there.</p><p id="10a3">If you’re hanging onto grudges and old hurts, or if there are old wounds that keep bubbling up to the surface, here’s a little food for thought from your loving Editor:</p><div id="1724" class="link-block"> <a href="https://libertyforrestauthor.medium.com/when-forgiving-seems-impossible-738b1d30ea37"> <div> <div> <h2>When Forgiving Seems Impossible</h2> <div><h3>Understanding what forgiveness is — and isn’t.</h3></div> <div><p>libertyforrestauthor.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*Ehbq3GZl1v1GqBM3)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h1 id="424c">Great News!</h1><p id="9a24">Last week, we were celebrating 52 followers. This week, we’re up to 62! Woohoo!</p><p id="6117">Annnd I didn’t check the number of Shorties But Goodies! followers last week, but as of today we have 89! Woohoo!!! Nearing that Magic 100 first milestone!</p><p id="2cac">Thank you to the 151 of you who are currently following one or both of my pubs!</p><p id="9232">Please take a peek at both and if you’re not following and would like to be, we’ll be happy to see that number go up by one more, thanks to you!</p><p id="fca5">To follow Hope * Healing * Humour, click here:</p><div id="602b" class="link-block"> <a href="https://medium.com/hope-healing-and-humour"> <div> <div> <h2>Hope * Healing * Humour</h2> <div><h3>A delightful place to spend some time, feed your soul, be inspired, and laugh a lot.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*PtfKJw3lWUouE3roNZjvJw.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="cfee">And to follow Shorties But Goodies! click here:</p><div id="819a" class="link-block"> <a href="https://medium.com/shorties-but-goodies"> <div> <div> <h2>Shorties But Goodies!</h2> <div><h3>Shorties But Goodies is a short form content publication. It’s loaded with only positive, uplifting, inspiring content…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*I12LeRa_Vd1xg2Z5ARpCOQ.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="80c5">Thank you to all our Hope * Healing * Humour writers:</p><p id="bd4c"><a href="undefined">Dr Andrea Polzer</a> <a href="undefined">Kris Bedenian</a> <a href="undefined">Bethan Coady</a> <a href="undefined">Rodney Brazier</a> <a href="undefined">Patti Murray Voncannon</a> <a href="undefined">Carrie Kolar</a> <a href="undefined">Croix Sather</a> <a href="undefined">Deb Fiore</a> <a href="undefined">Dina Alexander</a> <a href="undefined">DL Nemeril</a> <a href="undefined">Donnette Anglin</a>, <a href="undefined">Loren Lieberthal</a> <a href="undefined">Jimmy Misner Jr.</a> <a href="undefined">Judy Millar</a> <a href="undefined">Julie Gaeta</a> <a href="undefined">Pene Hodge</a> <a href="undefined">Karen Schwartz</a> <a href="undefined">Kaz Rochford</a> <a href="undefined">James Knight</a> <a href="undefined">Laura Izquierdo</a> <a href="undefined">Liz Porter</a> <a href="undefined">pockett dessert</a> <a href="undefined">Dr. Preeti Singh</a> <a href="undefined">Radhika Iyer</a> <a href="undefined">Sam Branstner</a> <a href="undefined">Sharon Sayler, Author</a> <a href="undefined">Umme Salma</a> <a href="undefined">Susie Kearley</a> <a href="undefined">Tamil</a> <a href="undefined">T Mann</a> <a href="undefined">Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles</a> <a href="undefined">Lion~</a> <a href="undefined">Wendy S. Bradfield</a> <a href="undefined">Yana Bostongirl</a> @jfoxwright</p><p id="e954">And the Shorties But Goodies! writers, all of whom were listed above.</p><blockquote id="e848"><p>Quick! Before I go…can one bird make a pun?</p></blockquote><blockquote id="2b93"><p>No, but toucan.</p></blockquote><p id="b15d">Thanks so much for being here!</p><p id="6074">See you next week, and in the meantime, shine on! xo</p><figure id="dcf0"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*ZdwSmEgpWNCu64qMV7RCbQ.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p id="b8df"><b><i>Join Medium for unlimited, ad-free access to great content! Your $5/month helps support my work and the other writers, here, too. You can sign up here:</i></b></p><div id="d97b" class="link-block"> <a href="https://libertyforrestauthor.medium.com/membership"> <div> <div> <h2>Join Medium with my referral link - Liberty Forrest, Author</h2> <div><h3>As a Medium member, a portion of your membership fee goes to writers you read, and you get full access to every story…</h3></div> <div><p>libertyforrestauthor.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*3m2-w-62gmgJiLGI)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

To a Community of Like-Minded Writing Souls: My Pub Family

Gratitude, updates and news to feed your soul

Photo courtesy of author, created in Canva

“Some people think they are in community, but they are only in proximity. True community requires commitment and openness. It is a willingness to extend yourself to encounter and know the other.”

— David Spangler

My dear Pub Family,

Welcome to my second “newsletterish”! — although it will be the first for some of you. More about that in a moment but first, I invite you to take a look at the quote above — or another look, assuming you’ve already read it. Take a moment to really read it. Close your eyes for a few moments. Absorb the power in those words and what they mean for us as a community on Medium.

Expand that vision into your own community, the area in which you live, and the country. And consider what those words mean for all of us on the planet.

Although on the surface, it might feel like we’re separated by geography and unable to reach beyond our own particular corners of the world to connect with others, think about what we’re doing here.

Medium allows us that connection. It allows us to bring together people from all over the world, from all walks of life, to know each other, to share our experiences, whether similar or polar opposites.

What an incredibly beautiful and unique community this is! It is extraordinary to consider that as each of us sits at home tappity-tap-tap-tapping on keyboards by ourselves and hitting “publish,” whether for an article or as a response to one, we are communicating with fellow lovers of words all over the world.

We share our joys and our pain, our triumphs and our tragedies. We rant and we laugh. We console and comfort. We cheer and celebrate.

We prove that around the world, we are all pretty much the same. Each of us is unique and precious and ought to be celebrated for that. At the same time, under our specific beliefs and experience of life, we’re far more the same than we’re not. “Proximity” has nothing to do with the community that we build here, and we make it stronger with every positive interaction we have with others on this wonderful platform.

“The golden way is to be friends with the world and to regard the whole human family as one.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

This week, I invite you to write about “community.” What does it mean to you? Why is it important?

I mentioned that this might be the first time some people are seeing my “newsletterish.”

If you read last week’s — my first as a pub owner — I explained why I was going to focus on Hope * Healing * Humour. And I explained that I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to manage to support my other pub, Shorties But Goodies!, in the same way. (*For those of you who aren’t aware, SBG! is for shortform only)

But I have such wonderful writers there, too! Many of them are writers here, too, but there are others who aren’t (yet! Hint, hint, nudge, nudge!)

Because both my pubs focus on positive, inspiring, uplifting and entertaining content, it occurred to me that it’s quite appropriate for me to include everyone! We’re all part of this Pub Family, so that just makes sense, right?

Please welcome the Shorties But Goodies! branch of the family:

Slow train Aemen Farooq A.H. Mehr Alex Frederickson Ashley Nicole B.R. Shenoy Carolyn Hastings Christina Christine Vann, MSc. Irene Fassler Edward John Ellie Jacobson ✍🏻 Gary Roberts aka Papa The Soulful Scribbler Isabel Young jeanninekauffmann/poems in the raw Joe Váradi Kaz Rochford Nia Simone McLeod Nicole Hilbig Patricia Wright Pam Winter Rachella Angel Page Jodian Marie Thomas, MS, Bsc, Asc L Burton Muhammad Abdullah

Now we get to have a little party to celebrate! Cake! And bubbly! And pizza! Yes, pizza! Yay! 🎉 🎈🎂 🥂 🍾 🍕💃🏻

What edible/drinkable delights would you love to see at a party? Please share in the comments!

I’m a little weird that way (perhaps in a few other ways. Okay, lots! There, I said it!) but I do love knowing what kinds of snacks and treats other people enjoy.

And before I go any further, I just want to offer all of you my humble “Thank you” for your beautiful contributions to both pubs. I am so honoured that you choose to submit your lovely writing here when there are, what, about nine million other pubs you could choose?

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping to grow these pubs and make them be happy places for people to come and enjoy a little time with us, and leave feeling better than when they arrived. I appreciate all of you more than I can say.

Last week, I invited you to write stories about who has inspired you in some way and it was soooo wonderful to read them! A heartfelt “Thank you!” to those of you who took the idea and ran with it.

This story by Wendy S. Bradfield had me contemplating packing up and moving to Egypt by the end of it! Seriously…I double-dare you to read this and not think the same thing:

Kaz Rochford shared a poignant story about her beloved mother’s life and their beautiful bond:

And Sam Branstner offered a bittersweet story that spanned much of his life and the life of someone he loved and admired for decades. Wow, talk about how one person can inspire another…

I was a weeping mess by the end of it. And so, so grateful for every word.

Please note:

I will always and forever absolutely adore seeing your stories about someone who has inspired you!! This is an ongoing shout-out to the Inspiring People Stories! Yesssss!! 🎉 More please! 🎉

A huge “Thank you” to our other writers who contributed these stories to HHH in the past week:

Deb Fiore offered a lovely piece talking about blessings, and it was loaded with great articles by other writers.

Our lovely Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles wrote this exceptionally inspiring story about overcoming, learning, adapting, and finding peace amidst some tough challenges:

Carrie Kolar — bless her poor nose — wrote a surprisingly entertaining and inspiring piece about her illness. Now that’s talent!

Susie Kearley lost her beloved aunt last week and I’m sure I can speak for all of us in offering our deepest sympathies. She wrote a beautiful piece about cherishing our loved ones and it is well worth taking to heart:

Dina Alexander shared a highly inspiring story about resilience, and in particular, she shared her personal experience with anxiety and how she overcame it:

She shared another about the power of positive thinking, of shifting mindset when you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed:

Tamil offered up some giggles in conversations with her young daughter. Oh, my…this young mama is the Queen of Comebacks! Take a look:

Karen Schwartz realised why her mornings were suddenly feeling “off” and what she did to put them right again. Hint: it’s something near and dear to my heart and can impact every one of you!

Over on Shorties But Goodies!, Slow train shared thoughts on getting from making a decision to taking action:

Dina Alexander shared a wonderfully cosy and delicious story about all the reasons to love winter! I detest the cold but even I can get on board with these! Take a look:

Kris Bedenian offered some great ideas to help you find answers when you need some clarity or direction:

She also shared some thoughts on how the past can be a gift:

This one from Kris was an incredible story of triumph over tragedies — plural— in 150 words. I was amazed at what she crammed into such a short story:

She’s also got some ideas about making your dreams come true:

Isabel Young wrote about some important health information that can benefit everyone — and it’s often a topic people don’t discuss:

Karen Schwartz had a backwards experience and ended up writing a handful of short stories as a result. Here we go:

This compelled her to write a three-part story — backwards. You can see them here:

Nicole Hilbig wrote a wonderful short story about what happens when you try something new. I love this one so much; I suppose it sums up a lot of my life:

She shared another interesting one about a different view of mindfulness!!

Newcomer Muhammad Abdullah wrote an amusing bit of fiction that I thought was real! (I had to write to ask!)

Laura Izquierdo wrote an interesting short story about rituals! I hope her family buckles up for the next couple of weeks; it’s going to be fun!

As this year draws to a close, another brand new, shiny one is waiting to be opened just like a giant journal (ohhhh with soft, silky paper and a fountain pen!!). It’s waiting for you to fill it up with 365 whole days of your life.

Many people use this time as a period of self-reflection. Taking a little trip inward, they want to leave behind what didn’t work and take only the good stuff into the new year.

It doesn’t always work, but the more we focus on that intention and on taking steps toward making it happen, the more likely we are to get there.

If you’re hanging onto grudges and old hurts, or if there are old wounds that keep bubbling up to the surface, here’s a little food for thought from your loving Editor:

Great News!

Last week, we were celebrating 52 followers. This week, we’re up to 62! Woohoo!

Annnd I didn’t check the number of Shorties But Goodies! followers last week, but as of today we have 89! Woohoo!!! Nearing that Magic 100 first milestone!

Thank you to the 151 of you who are currently following one or both of my pubs!

Please take a peek at both and if you’re not following and would like to be, we’ll be happy to see that number go up by one more, thanks to you!

To follow Hope * Healing * Humour, click here:

And to follow Shorties But Goodies! click here:

Thank you to all our Hope * Healing * Humour writers:

Dr Andrea Polzer Kris Bedenian Bethan Coady Rodney Brazier Patti Murray Voncannon Carrie Kolar Croix Sather Deb Fiore Dina Alexander DL Nemeril Donnette Anglin, Loren Lieberthal Jimmy Misner Jr. Judy Millar Julie Gaeta Pene Hodge Karen Schwartz Kaz Rochford James Knight Laura Izquierdo Liz Porter pockett dessert Dr. Preeti Singh Radhika Iyer Sam Branstner Sharon Sayler, Author Umme Salma Susie Kearley Tamil T Mann Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles Lion~ Wendy S. Bradfield Yana Bostongirl @jfoxwright

And the Shorties But Goodies! writers, all of whom were listed above.

Quick! Before I go…can one bird make a pun?

No, but toucan.

Thanks so much for being here!

See you next week, and in the meantime, shine on! xo

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