All articles filed in gussiewrites

Let’s talk about numbers. Let’s talk about age. Let’s talk about life. We’ve all heard the saying, “Age is just a number.” And yes, in many ways, it is. But as we all know, age is also so much more than that. Isn’t it interesting how, when we are little, we simply cannot wait to…

I’ve been thinking back to Groundhog Day earlier this month, and I find it so cute—and honestly a little comical—that soooooo many people celebrate it. In some areas, especially in the neck of the woods where I grew up, it is a HUGE annual tradition. People gather before the sun even comes up, sometimes in…

Here it is, almost halfway through another month of 2026. My last blog, on January 31, brought back a lot of emotions and memories as I wrote it. Some things are easy to put into words. Others seem to sit somewhere between your heart and your fingertips, and somehow, when you finally begin typing, everything…

Here we are. One month — actually, 31 days — into the new year. And where do I begin? I can’t really say that the year started off differently than I wanted it to, because the truth is, I didn’t really have any expectations going into this new year. Maybe that was intentional. Maybe somewhere…

Blessed! …. Proud of You! Two weeks into 2026. Two weeks. That’s it. And somehow, I feel like my mind has already lived through about six months! 2026 has come in like a whirlwind for me. My thoughts seem to flip-flop from one extreme to another on a daily basis. Sometimes, if I’m being truthful,…

Bigfoot Yes. Bigfoot. And, just for the record – I seem to think Big Foot has to be TWO words! LOL …. after some research since my last post … I learned that the etiquette of the word is Bigfoot – one word! hahahaaaa So ….. BIGFOOT That is what I am writing about today.…

The New Year is Here! So here we are….. 2026. A brand-new year, and of course, with it come new thoughts, new hopes and new dreams. But no resolutions. I’ve never been much for resolutions. Instead, I find myself thinking about what I hope this year might hold. And yes, along with those hopes come…

New Year’s Eve As I think about today’s date, and the fact that we have somehow arrived at the very last day of 2025, there is one thing I can say with absolute certainty: I survived. Maybe that doesn’t sound like a grand accomplishment to everyone. But sometimes, surviving is the accomplishment. I think back…

Christmas Day has arrived. Here we go again. The differences.The flooding memories.The quiet reminders of what once was. Last night, I fell asleep alone on Christmas Eve. This morning, I woke up alone on Christmas Day. There is something about waking up on Christmas morning that stirs every memory you’ve ever tucked away. The house…

Where Did the Magic Go? It’s Christmas Eve. There was a time when this day carried a feeling that words can hardly describe. The excitement, the anticipation, the warmth… it seemed to fill every corner of the house and every corner of my heart. It wasn’t just a day on the calendar—it felt like a…

When Even Santa Couldn’t Fix It Finding Peace When Life Feels Too Heavy for the Holidays Two days before Christmas. Christmas Eve is tomorrow, and this should be one of the happiest times of the year. The lights are glowing, Christmas music is playing, and everywhere you look people are talking about joy, peace, and…

The Holidays, the Memories, and the Dreams That Never Happened Finding Peace Between What Was, What Is, and What Might Have Been As the Christmas season approaches, I find myself doing what I always do this time of year—reminiscing. Some memories are beautiful. They stick to me like glue. Actually, Super Glue. The laughter, the…

December 14. December 14 arrived… and with it, a quiet sense of victory. Friday the 13th had passed. Laugh out loud… wink, wink. But the real story? It was just beginning. Labor continued… hour after hour… stretching into what felt like an eternity. It was now Saturday, and I was still holding onto one promise…

A Little Longer… December 13. It’s a date that will forever live in my heart. Many years ago, early that morning, the labor pains began. My very first thought—honest and a little funny looking back—was, “Oh no… my baby cannot be born on Friday the 13th!” But just as quickly as that thought came, it…

Not Just a Vacation… A Feeling I’ve Been Missing Sunshine, laughter, music, and the kind of moments that remind you you’re truly living There’s a difference between a vacation… and A vacation. And maybe these thoughts are hitting me a little deeper right now because of the time of year. The holidays are coming. Winter…

Music Is My Booze The high that never hurts—only heals. December rolls in and with it comes the sound of holiday music drifting through the air. Soft at first… then everywhere. And just like that—I’m not in the present anymore. I’m in memories. In moments. In places and people that music somehow keeps alive. That’s…

The Day I Didn’t Want to “People” When God Interrupts Your Quiet Shell for a Reason Did you ever wake up and just not want to “people” today? Not because you’re angry. Not because you’re upset with anyone. You just… don’t feel like being a people person. You want what I call a “turtle day.”…

The Lesson in a Parking Lot Sometimes the simplest moments quietly teach us the biggest truths about life. I was sitting in a parking lot the other day, listening to the end of a song …. checking messages on my iPhone, and watching the world go by. In the parking lot, there was a huge…

Afraid of Happiness When life teaches you that joy never seems to stay. Why does my world seem to fall apart the moment I allow myself to feel happy? It’s something I’ve asked myself more than once… and not just in passing. I mean really stopped and asked it, from the deepest place in my…

Refusing the Diagnosis When you decide a label does not get to define the rest of your life There comes a moment in life when a doctor sits across from you and says words you never expected to hear. A chronic condition. Hereditary. Something you’ll have for the rest of your life. And then comes…

Be Yourself… Even If the World Thinks You’re a Little Too Much Somewhere along the way, many of us stopped being ourselves. We stopped singing along to the radio at the top of our lungs. We stopped dancing in the kitchen while dinner was cooking. We stopped being a little silly, a little loud, a…

When the Music Plays… and Time Quietly Speaks A bittersweet reflection on youth, dreams, and the moments that make us pause and look at life differently. Have you ever been listening to a song… maybe an old tune… and you find yourself bopping around to it because it just makes you feel young and alive…

Faith Isn’t Perfect — It’s Real Questioning God, getting angry, praying anyway, and choosing to believe even when life doesn’t make sense. Faith is a deep topic. Everyone has their own opinions about it. But I often find myself asking: What is faith, really? How do you handle it? What do you do with it…

“Sometimes the Healthiest Thing You Can Do is Unfriend and Block” Some people — whether a family member, former coworker, someone you once considered a friend, or even someone you dated — simply do not belong in your “social media” world anymore. Maybe you friended them years ago to be polite? Maybe you thought staying…

“Stress and anxiety cause heart palpitations, headaches, acid reflux, insomnia, and more. Be kind to yourself. It’s okay to rest.” -Author Unknown I saw the above quote/reminder and it got me thinking… yes, I know — that can be dangerous! 😂 But here goes… sometimes a simple thought or reminder hits you right in the…