Strength Needed

During my lifetime, several challenges interrupt life's balance. These occurrences take their toll on my mind, body, and spirit in different ways. Reflecting on these moments leads me to ask a series of questions.

What troubles me now? 

My past traumatic events lessened my physical strength. My husband's passing cluttered my mind and brought sorrow into my soul. I felt like I was drowning in grief.

What do I do to find comfort? 

I turn to my faith with hope in my heart. My family, close friends, and long-distance writing communities support me. 

How do I manage the grief that brings exhaustion, nightmares, and anxiety? 

Faith and hope intervene because I am in need.. I turn to scripture, The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation." (Psalm 118-14) I listen to faith-filled music, such is a new collection I found, "Songs for Comfort".

How do I build strength so I can restore my body, mind, and spirit?

I am eagerly trying to build strength through physical therapy for a fractured ankle. Nine months after my husband passed, I decided to engage in bereavement counseling. The communication between the bereavement counselor and me is one of comfort and determination to minimize grief. This is my self-help for building spiritual and emotional strength. Positivity and optimism strengthen my mind.

Each day, I wake to the song, Restore My Soul, that brings my one word into the light of day. I begin the journey to total wellness of the mind, body, and spirit. There is never a full day of strength building, but I am determined to walk the road to restoration and renewal.

I am thankful for the inspiration that comes through reading. It provides me time to pause and look out the window at nature's sunset, lighting the gray sky. Building strength is one day at a time.

Kahlil Gibran stated: “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." 

I have felt the scars of sorrow, but I must walk the spiritual journey to navigate reality. I am ready!

Strength's Journey

strength resides

inside hearts

filled with faith

inside minds

yearning for

renewal

inside me

waiting to

release grief

(c) CVarsalona, 2026

Thank you to those who understand.

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I am grateful for the following writing communities

Leigh Anne Eck

host of today's Spiritual Journey

illuminated my thoughts on her topic strength.  Please join me as I share my thoughts with  Leigh Anne and my colleagues of Spiritual Journey Thursday Community.

Click here.

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Day 5, March 5, 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

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Poetry Friday 2026 hosted by author and poet, 

Karen Edminston.

She is using a line from Arthur Sze's poem Residence on Earth to create an original poem, "One Way to Live". Click here to read Karen's poem and other blog posts.

created by Margaret Simon

Celebrating Commitment to Learning

Each summer, educators gather to learn, share ideas, and build their literacy toolboxes. They notice and wonder. Creative sparks ignite and acts of designing and creating follow. 

This is what happened at the graduate course, Transforming Writing Lives Through Digital Tools and Creativity, that I facilitated at Molloy College on Long Island last week. Teachers-as-learners joined me for an intensive summer institute to study ways to increase student engagement in the literacy classroom. You can access my post on the learning that occurred here.

Next weekend, a celebration of literacy learning will continue at the International Literacy 2016 Conference. I am excited to learn alongside literacy experts as well as present with my colleagues.

In addition, I will attend EdCamp Literacy next week at the International Literacy Conference in Boston to enhance my own professional learning. I will present on Discovering Joy and Wonder Through Inquiry via Family Literacy. Being one of the Wonder Lead Ambassadors, I will gladly represent Wonderopolis as one of the lead sites affecting change in children's pursuit of wonder.

I thank, Leigh Anne Eck for her idea to showcase educators' summer learning in a slide presentation that can be accessed here. Below is the slide I contributed. I am also sharing this example of #digipoetry at my #ila16 presentation with Dr. Michele Haiken and poet, Laura Purdie Salas. 

I celebrate commitment to learning by all educators who are involved in summer learning as a means to hone their craft and ultimately their practice.

Please continue to read how others celebrate their week by visiting Ruth Ayres' blogging community, Celebrate This Week, that is built on the positives of weekly life. 

Turn Away From Darkness

                                         During long nights of winter,

                                                  silhouetted in frost,

                                                  leave broken yesterdays

                                                  to look upon the cross.

                                                  

                                                 Lift your eyes heavenward

                                                 away from frozen hopes                                                        

                                               Focus in the darkness.

                                                 Stillness calls you to cope.

                                                      

                                              Listening to the silence,

                                                 turning away from fear,

                                                 wake up to letting go

                                                 to hear Him. He is near.

                                         

                                                Possibilities await

                                                as fears fly out of sight.

                                              Turn away from darkness

                                                that shackled you last night.

2 Corinthians 4:18 

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, 

since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Now turn your eyes Spiritual Journey Thursday created by Holly Mueller. Each Thursday, Holly and the faithful community of bloggers come together to pause, reflect, and write on a topic. January and February's blogs are devoted to each blogger's one little word journeys, starting with Holly's word, focus. We have covered my OLW, listen, Michelle Haseltine's word, fly, and now Leigh Ann Eck's word, turn. I thank Holly for her guidance in choosing "just right" topics and bringing this community together. I am grateful for our connections and hope others are drawn closer to their spiritual journeys.