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Children,Control,Death,Future,Life,Living,Time

Temporary

We just dropped off our twenty-year-old son at the airport. He is so, well, twenty. After raising two boys to manhood, I know that Kahlil Gibran was probably right: Our children are only on loan to us. I had heard it, but I didn’t have a clue of what that meant. When they were little, I fooled myself into thinking they were mine. But now I’m not so sure they ever were. Yes, they pretty much did what they were told—most of the time— because they didn’t know any better. However, those times didn’t last. And the boys often made...
Authors and Writing,Chances,Choices,Learning

What Comes Next?

Note to reader: This is a story with no end . . . yet. You can finish this story however you would like. How does the sentence end? What will happen? Who comes in the room? Who leaves the room? Would you like this kind of chance? Can you relate? Enjoy! The principal of the school sat in her office pondering the student— a girl who had been referred to the office for yet another dress-code violation. It was Thursday morning. “What?” the girl said in a slouching stand, her hand on one hip as attitude permeated her skinny little...
Life,Love Yourself,Plans,Time

Flip

The calendar doesn't care. Its pages flip. The new day comes into view. If it's a plain daily calendar, it's not much fun. The best calendars are those big monthly calendars with images that take your breath away. The ones that make you smile, even sigh at how beautiful they are. Some are sweeping vistas of romantic places. Some are such unique animals that you question if they really exist. Calendars do this on purpose, so you don't have to suffer as much with your life's passing. I have a favorite calendar. It's from Paper Source, and I buy one...
Finishing,Learning,Living,Lucky,Starting

Starting

Oh, my goodness. I had this fine idea that everyone is great at starting projects and that finishing is the problem. I forgot that many times people fail to start because they fear they will never finish. So finishing is still a huge challenge, no doubt about it, but the more pernicious problem is that a finely honed track record of non-finishing keeps people from the unbridled giddiness that comes from starting something. That, and fear of looking really dumb. I hope you can take the first step. Whatever it is, try something new this week. It doesn't have to be huge. You can...
About Me,Authors and Writing,Speaker

Kathryn Atkins — Short Bio

Kathryn Atkins is a native Californian. She is a writer, mom, wife, and a flamenco dancer. She loves to play the piano, read, and do yoga. She has published two books and has been featured in online and print magazines for over fourteen years as the owner and creative director of Writing World, LLC, a professional business writing company. In the early years of Writing World, Kathryn published a column in the Orange County (California) Register. Her Berkeley BS and MBA have served her freelance business writing company. Her eight-year membership in the California Writers Club has fulfilled her desire...
Authors and Writing,Learning

Writing Terms

Do you need to know what the following terms mean to call yourself a Writer (with a capital 'W')? Not really, but if you want to extend your knowledge around your craft, you might want to have at least heard or seen these words.  Besides, "Practice Makes Perfect," and learning your trade is practicing. Here you go. Oh. And keep writing! Litotes: \ ˈlī-tə-ˌtēz -- Understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in "not a bad singer" or "not unhappy") Ablaut:  \ ˈä-ˌblau̇t -- a systematic variation of vowels in the same root or affix or in related roots...
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