The Reflective Pen

Simple Wisdom – Because Life Can Be Complicated

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  • ABOUT ME
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  • Manifesto
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  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT ME
  • DEKKER
  • Manifesto
  • BOOKS
  • Dekker

    Dekker Adds to His Story

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    Dekker the Service Dog waits by a fog with mist

    Woof Woof! Here is another piece of my story of how I got to be a service dog, along with a few answers to comments left last week....I…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    Is There Any Purpose and Meaning to Aging?

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    A group of hands holding fall leaves perhaps pondering death in autumn. is there meaning and purpose in growing old

    Finding purpose and meaning as we age is a matter of recognizing the power of sitting still.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    How to Not Be So Busy: A Guide for the Overworked and Overwhelmed

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    nothing goes right - man in grief holding face with his hand Ardis Mayo

    We all have those days where we feel overworked and overwhelmed, like we're drowning in an endless sea of tasks and responsibilities. But fear not, for I am…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges,  Spiritual Growth

    What is the Meaning and Purpose of Life

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    Is this tabby cat thinking about meaning and purpose or passion and calling? or aging

    Meaning and purpose have to be more than a satisfying and lucrative job. How does my life intertwine with diversity, with strangers, with the Divine?

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    Pain is a Given – Suffering is a Choice

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    pain and suffering woman with toothache

    ‘Pain is a given; suffering is a choice’. What on earth does this mean? And how does it apply to our lives? I think we can all agree…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Dekker

    Dekker Tells His Story, part 1

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    Dekker, service dog posing on granite slab

    Many people ask me (Dekker) what it takes to be a service dog. I could talk to them about the one to two years of training which I…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    Letting Go

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    Releasing Red Heart Balloons -letting go

    My journey through liminal space continues. The pace of our transitioning between continents is that of a snail. And for the time being, that still feels mostly okay, even as…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    How to Procrastinate with Style

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    this Boston terrier knows how to procrastinate with syle with his chin on the arm of the sofa

    I put off writing about procrastination for a long time and I had a lot of (to me) reasonable excuses. My favorite one: “I’m not procrastinating, I’m researching”.…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Spiritual Growth

    The Joy of Gratitude: Simple Ways of Giving Thanks

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    Showing gratitude at sunrise

    The joy of gratitude is an acquired joy that comes with practice. I was taught as a very young child to say “thank you” and most of the…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Dekker

    Dekker Speaks

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    Dekker ponders a basket of yarn

    Dekker is a British black lab who is a service dog by day and a writer by night. His greatest joy is sharing his thoughts about human behavior.

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging,  Spiritual Growth

    How Old Do You Have to Be to Become a Crone

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    statue of a crone for the post "how old do you have to be to be a crone"

    Well, if there isn’t a specific age for crones and no certification from an institution of higher learning, and when you look in the mirror you aren’t looking…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges

    Do You Know What To Do Before Being Hit by a Bus?

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    People don’t often survive a head-on collision with a speeding bus when they are out for an evening stroll. It is often easier to talk about buses than…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Life Challenges,  Spiritual Growth

    How Can We Entertain Our Feelings of Grief?

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    strong man holding weak child with feelings of grief

    We have an energy crisis, and I am not referring to an oil shortage. I am thinking about all the energy it takes to keep the doors and…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Aging

    How Old Is Old Enough?

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    How old is old enough? two children on the shore pointing to the horizon.

    I am not sure when my desire to be older came to a halt, but there was a period in my life I didn’t think about aging much…

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    Ardis Mayo
  • Dekker

    Dear Dekker

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    Dekker, the dog who has a lot of wisdom

    Dear Dekker, I am writing to you because I have what some people call mid-winter blues. I can’t seem to find the energy to keep going.

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    Ardis Mayo
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