Blogcast: Beauty on the Cliff Walk, worry in my heart

My day started beautifully. My neighbor Henry, my dog Fritzli, and I walked Newport's rocky cliffs. The sky was blue, the ocean glistened. On our way home, I noticed the perfectly green leaves and blossoms on the trees. Thank goodness I have this morning walking routine. Without it, life would be stale air. Starting a blog post is near-impossible when you worry about family. I have one loved one in the hospital and another who is struggling, which makes happy Mother’s Day greetings feel bittersweet. Speaking of moms - mine usually forwards Sean of the South's daily columns to me. Sean Dietrich (known as Sean of the South) is this wonderful storyteller who shares heartfelt, funny stories about everyday life in small-town America. My mom loves his writing so much, she shares his columns with everyone she knows. For the past week, they've stopped arriving in my inbox because she's in the hospital. This absence of Sean's columns in my daily life is a sign mom is unwell and it makes me sad. Maybe it's practice for when they will stop coming for real - a trial run for her eventual departure. I'm just hoping she'll be back at her computer soon.....   A narrated essay from The Pressures of Privilege. Subscribe for more essays and reflections: https://dianaoehrli.substack.com/subscribe