Life Between the Dates

A Front Porch Reflection on the Little Dash That Holds a Lifetime

The other day I came across a simple thought that stayed with me much longer than I expected.

It wasn’t complicated. In fact, it centered around one of the smallest marks in our written language — a tiny little dash.

You know the one. The little dash between the dates.

Every life can eventually be described by two dates. One marks the day we entered the world. The other, someday, marks the day our earthly story is complete.

Between those two dates is a simple little dash.

But when one thinks about it, that tiny dash mark somehow has to represent an entire lifetime.

Not just the years . . . . the life. The living in between the dates.

And that got me thinking.

Perhaps the most important part isn’t the dates at all.

Perhaps it has always been the life between them.

 

 

 

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Simple Hopes

Welcome back to the Front Porch. I’m glad you could stop by for a few minutes.

Lately I’ve found myself thinking about simple things.

Trees.

Wildflowers.

Birds.

Butterflies.

Forests.

Streams.

The ordinary things that make a place feel alive.

Perhaps it comes from spending so much time wandering through Honey Hill Country. Or perhaps it simply comes with age. Either way, I found myself sitting with a thought the other day.

Not a complicated thought.

Just a hopeful one.

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Life Without Supervision

The Continuing Adventures of a Very Small Warden


A few weeks ago, I said goodbye to my little Chihuahua, Allie.

At fourteen years old, she had been my writing companion, supervisor, schedule keeper, occasional employer, and friend for a very long time.

Like many good dogs, she occupied far more space in a life than her small size would ever suggest.

As with many small dogs, Allie seemed to have 120 pounds of heart, adventure, and spirit all crammed into a little 12 pound body. It is always amazing how a creature so small can leave such a large space behind and oversized hole in your heart.

It has taken me a few days to come back to this.

Not out of reluctance . . . . but out of respect, I think.

Some things do not ask to be written right away.
They ask to be sat with first — quietly — until the edges soften just enough to be held without breaking.

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The Morning the Windows Open Again

And the Small Bird Who Knew It First

Morning brought its own small announcement today.

Out on a branch of the Honey Locust tree just beyond the window, a Carolina Wren had taken up position and was delivering his familiar seven-note song — over and over and over again — with the bright confidence of a creature that believes the whole world ought to hear it.

And the remarkable thing is that the world usually does.

It never ceases to amaze how such a tiny bird can produce a voice large enough to fill the yard, echo across the nearby trees, and make itself known to anyone within reasonable listening distance.

The little fellow sang as though he were warming up for something important.

Spring, perhaps.

Somewhere in the quiet workings of the seasons, preparations are already underway. The light shifts a little. The ground softens. Birds begin testing their voices again.

And this particular wren seemed determined that nobody should overlook the moment.

There is probably a lesson hidden somewhere in all that — the old reminder that sometimes it takes only one voice to make a difference.

But that is a subject for another day.

This morning, the message felt simpler.

He was reminding me — It might be time to open the window.

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There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

On Remembering the Past and Choosing Hope for Tomorrow.

Some weeks feel heavier than others.

The headlines are louder. The conversations a little tighter. The future — which usually stretches out like an open road — can feel uncertain around the edges.

And yet, tomorrow still arrives.

For as long as I can remember, there has been a song that comes back to me in moments like this. It plays inside my head almost without invitation:

“There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day . . . .”

The song was written by Richard and Robert Sherman — the Sherman Brothers — for the Carousel of Progress, first introduced at the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair in New York City.

The fair carried a hopeful motto: “Peace Through Understanding.”

It is hard to imagine a more necessary phrase in any generation.

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The Smallest Invitation in Winter — National Bird Feeding Month

A Handful of Seed, a Dish of Water, a Safe Place to Rest — and Why Small Actions At Home Matter

February can feel long.

Not dramatic. Not tragic. Just . . . . long.

The trees are bare. The color has drained from the fields. The air moves a little slower.

And yet — there is motion.

A flutter in the honey locust.
A finch on the ledge.
A woodpecker arriving like he owns the place.

February is National Bird Feeding Month.

And it is not only about enjoying the view.

It is about helping birds make it through winter — and preparing the ones who are about to arrive after journeys that stretch farther than we can easily imagine.

 

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