19 Comments
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Jessica Gigot, PhD's avatar

voluntold!

Mary Beth Rew Hicks's avatar

I believe we're all familiar with this phenomenon.🤣 I ran into Lolla and Mark in the Coop the other day and was hugged!💜

Jessica Gigot, PhD's avatar

Yay! I love that we finally connected in person.

Roberta McKay's avatar

Love your writing. I think kids act up when they graduate from high school because they are already mourning. They just don't know it. And I think boys do this to their moms more so.

Mary Beth Rew Hicks's avatar

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comment, Roberta. 💜

Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne's avatar

This psychologist concurs!

Gillian & Li'l Bean's avatar

Lovely to hear from you, quite an update! Take care of your heart - that is a lot. I’m glad the fish have a cod mother, even if it is to ease their passing. I’ll look forward to your boat stories.

Mary Beth Rew Hicks's avatar

Oh, thank you, dear Gillian. I so appreciate your words about my fish, and I will take as a directive the part about my heart. I appreciate you.

Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne's avatar

“Make lemonade” times.

Pacific sea lemons, we

have a lot of nerve.

...

In hellscape tidepool,

may we help prevent bad deaths.

We’ll see who survives.

...

Fairy Codmother

observes, absorbs, gets onboard.

Catches down feather.

Mary Beth Rew Hicks's avatar

This poem is such a gift, thank you Marisol!💜

Dawn Smith's avatar

Tidepooling- beauty, surprises and peace-highly recommended, especially as you navigate this difficult time. For your time at sea in Alaska- fair winds and following seas.

Mary Beth Rew Hicks's avatar

Thank you so much, Dawn. I like that- surprises and peace.💜

Stacy Boone's avatar

Pools and seas bring change. The winds dictate the initial direction but sails and oars can realign the intended course, or with a pause in consideration, direct to new bearing. 🩵🩵

Mary Beth Rew Hicks's avatar

Often the word realign gets used by leadership in rather violent ways but your way of saying it has it seem gentle and appealing. The word bearing is standing out to me, too. Letting the words wash over me and resonate.💜

Stacy Boone's avatar

There exists a gentler way to transition …

Sarah Savage's avatar

Oh Mary Beth! I hardly know how to react to this, but I'm going to go with the "lemonade" approach and congratulate you on the opportunity to be more YOU.

Christi Krug's avatar

What a thrilling and horrifying theft of most of your known self . . . I'm amazed at *your* regenerative abilities and delighted with all you teach me about sea creatures. Thank you for writing honestly and beautifully as you face frightening and difficult and transitions. I hear the note of anticipation and can't wait to hear about your Alaskan adventures.

Mary Beth Rew Hicks's avatar

Thank you so much, Christi, for reading and especially for this note. I have to come catch up on your summer posts, can't wait to read what you've been up to.

Christi Krug's avatar

I feel the same about your posts! You do much more work than I think you are aware of! And it’s so worthwhile.