Apples of Gold

Breathing Again

Autumn is my spring. While others come alive with the first blossoms and the lengthening days of spring, I stir awake with the falling leaves — with the crisp bite in the air and the golden hush that settles gently across the world. It’s as though something deep within me has been lying dormant through…

The Sacred Pause

To grow, we must rest. It’s a truth woven deep into the rhythm of life — so obvious in nature, yet so easily forgotten in the noise of our busy days. But the earth remembers. Even the richest soil must needs to take a break. Rest is not the end of life — it is…

Hold on. Hope wins.

On Easter Sunday, there’s a hush in the air that always moves me. The dawn feels quiet and golden, as though the whole world is rising together into the same soft light. Shadows stretch long across the ground, the birds seem louder than usual, and in the Christian calendar it is the day that quietly…

Stillness

Why don’t we take more time to stop and reflect? It’s a question that stirs the soul. In a world that celebrates hustle, speed, and productivity, stillness feels almost rebellious. To stop and reflect is to say: This moment matters. I matter.And yet we race on — chasing deadlines, drowning in to-do lists, scrolling endlessly…

Completely Alive

The night couldn’t be more perfect for a stroll along the beach. The breeze is gentle, and the sea mirrors its stillness. I inhale deeply, letting the scents of the evening fill my senses—the salty mist in the air, the refreshing scent of eucalyptus drifting from the trees nearby. My toes sink into the sand,…

Cancer Diagnosis

I’m the kind of person who remembers anniversaries — not only the joyful ones, but the ones that mark life’s deep turning points. I’ve always been this way. Certain days settle into my bones and refuse to be forgotten. They become quiet markers along the road — places where life changed direction. These moments help…

This World Needs Christmas

There are some stories that don’t fade with time. They settle into the soul and stay there. One of them is the Christmas of 1914. I often try to picture it. Young men far from home, shivering in muddy trenches along the Western Front during World War I. Cold. Exhausted. Surrounded by the constant thunder…

Christmas Wish

Sometimes life has a way of stopping us in our tracks, quietly urging us to reflect. It’s so easy to get swept up in the holiday buzz — the endless plans, the lists, the preparations. This year my Christmas tree is surrounded by a growing pile of gifts, a testament to my large and loving…

Everyday Joys

What makes me smile? It’s rarely the grand occasions. It’s the small things — the fleeting, almost hidden moments that could so easily be missed in the rush of daily life. Simple things. Quiet things. Yet rich with warmth. That first sip of chai in the morning is one of them. The way the steam…

Grandfather Clock

There is a particular kind of solace that lives in my family’s old grandfather clock. It hangs on the wall downstairs, keeping time with its steady, gentle tick-tock. On days when life feels brittle — when I am frazzled or unsettled — I pause and listen. The sound wraps around me like a lullaby. It…