Author Archives: Diana Rankin

Are You Growing or Groaning to Happiness?

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Diana Rankin

The playwright George Bernard Shaw said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” Read this quotation again because you must get this before you will be happy. Although you will have plenty of help along the way, … Continue reading →

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It’s Mom’s Birthday!

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Diana Rankin

My Mom had a birthday. It was on a Saturday, November 11. I know because she told me. Mom turned older, maybe even older than me. But I’m still wiser. That’s ‘cause I’m a doggy and she’s a human. Doggies … Continue reading →

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Countering Negative Self-Talk

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Diana Rankin

People think of me as a positive, optimistic person, but it wasn’t always so. It’s been a long and often difficult road to this inner joy that I now am grateful to experience. There was a time, however, when I … Continue reading →

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When Piper Misbehaves

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Diana Rankin

Most of the time I’m a really good girl. Honest I am. But sometimes I’m a brat. Mom doesn’t say that, but I know she’s thinking it. I’m a brat when we get into the car, and I bark and … Continue reading →

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7 Ways to Heal Pain that Binds Us

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Diana Rankin

Our lives should be filled with joy, right? It’s our spiritual heritage, right?  So why then is there so much pain and suffering in the world? And what, if anything, can we do about it? Are we just supposed to … Continue reading →

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Bullies, Bullets, and Blame

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Diana Rankin

Back in 2011, I wrote this article about another mass shooting. The names have changed but not much else, including our part—and responsibility—in these horrid tragedies. I yelled at my cat today. It was a sharp piercing wail that surprised … Continue reading →

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Piper’s Visitor

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Diana Rankin

Juno came to visit me. Aunti Juliet brought her. She’s really big. And I mean really, really big. Juno, not Aunti Juliet. Juno’s a doggy like me. Aunti Juliet’s a human. At first I was scared. The last time I … Continue reading →

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Chopping Wood and Carrying Water

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Diana Rankin

I guess I should have known the day wasn’t going to go as I planned when the first thing I saw when I stepped out onto the deck Sunday morning was a red tail hawk taking flight from my backyard … Continue reading →

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Butterflies, the Dove, and the Shaman

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Diana Rankin

There’s a patch of un-mowed grass in my yard. It’s there because a dying butterfly claimed it, and I saw no reason to disturb her. Having a neatly manicured lawn just isn’t that important to me, at least not as … Continue reading →

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Piper Goes on Vacation

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Diana Rankin

I caught my mom packing the suitcase. I looked right at her and barked. “Make sure you pack my things,” I told her. She listened. She packed my water bowl and food bowl. And of course, my food. She even … Continue reading →

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