Photo by Mary K. Doyle Vendors selling headbands, bracelets, change purses, and shoulder bags. Cancun, Mexico ..read more

I’m celebrating a big birthday on May 31. This birthday is so big it’s difficult to announce the number aloud. People say that life goes quickly. I’m not certain about that. Some parts of my life felt as if they would never end. Others are so different from the rest that they feel as if they were more like their own book rather than just a chapter in the whole story. Life hasn’t always been easy for me. I’ve certainly met a number of challenges, as most of us have. But I’ve also received great blessings, especially when it comes to family and friends. I am rich in people to love with the best ..read more

Gentle breezes warmly caress my face. Nature is in concert with birds singing, tranquil waters meandering downstream, and happy humans loving each other. Meditating on peace and harmony, believing in our potential for good, and praying celestial beings guide us. Confident in a world that’s possible. *Digital image by Kevin *Poem by Mary K. Doyle ..read more

Mamma Mourning Dove has returned for another spring delivery of babies. She nests on the ledge between my neighbor’s and my front door patiently awaiting the arrival of her new babies. One year, my neighbor and I wanted to take down the nest before Mamma Dove laid her eggs because of the weeks of droppings that would accumulate on our front steps. But it didn’t matter how often we tried to deter the dove. Within an hour, she would have another nest fully built. We learned to let Little Mamma build her nest and wait to clean up after she completed her yearly obligation to produce and send out ..read more

Photo by Mary K. Doyle Silver Sword, Haleakalā National Park, Maui, Hawaii (2008 ..read more

Lost in the narrow tunnel of darkness, I’m drawn to the light. Following the path, one step at a time, I find my way out. *** Photo and Poem by Mary K. Doyle Arched Trellises, Fabyan Park, Batavia, IL Tranquility. Transformation. Transcendence. The Enchanting Promises of Public Gardens ..read more

–He would say that he had a quick errand to run but didn’t return for hours and was angry when I asked where he was. –He enjoyed being with people but was suddenly argumentative with people he had never found fault with in the past. –He couldn’t find his keys or phone and blamed me for displacing his items. One of the most common questions I’m asked is how I recognized something was wrong with my husband? How did I know Marshall had Alzheimer’s disease? The red flag for me was the change in personality. Marshall was previously a happy, easygoing guy, and gradually became increasingly agitated ..read more

Photo by Mary K. Doyle, Amalfi Coast, Italy ..read more

We live in flux. Part of the stress we experience today is that everything around us is constantly changing. As soon as we figure out how to do something, the rules, technology, and methods change. And so we must change. Most of the challenge is when we are transitioning from one way of doing or thinking to another. Those bridges can feel like we are in the middle of nowhere, that we are not grounded. But those bridges are important as they prepare us for our next path. They allow the time and space for us to learn, grow, and move on. Following is a poem titled Embrace the Bridges that I wrot ..read more

Do you think peace is possible? Today, May 13th begins the anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. In May 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal over a six-month period. Mary gave the children a series of messages on how to obtain peace. World War I was in progress, and Mary warned that if we didn’t change our ways, we would find ourselves in greater conflict.  Basically, Mary’s message was for our need to grow closer to God and follow the loving and inclusive ways of her son, Jesus. This can be achieved by treating everyone and everything around us with love ..read more