Cynthia Anderson's Blog

I love the swings. “Higher!” I would yell to my dad, whose job it was to keep the swing in motion. At its highest—the moment before it...

I love old recipe books, with the infusion of smells made by the ingredients splashed on the pages, the yellowed edges, trying to read around the vanilla stain to decide if it’s one or two teaspoons, and how words like 'lard' and 'sugar' were used with such abandon. 

This mindset often takes center stage through vision boards, five-year plans, and lofty goals. And while those have their place, we risk losing sight of the moments that make those dreams possible.It's the everyday actions we sometimes overlook that pave the way for success. In our pursuit of achievement, we sometimes forget to prepare for the moment it finally comes.

We've all heard the platitudes: "If you want to go big, quit thinking small." "Think big to achieve big." But what if thinking small...

“Crack! Wham!" On an autumn morning, I walked along a path shaded by oak trees when an acorn came crashing down.

Fact Meets Fiction: The Origins of Murray Falls One of my closest childhood friends' father was Murray Fowler, DVM —a remarkable...

Talking to my child (Words adapted from Fred Rogers and often spoken to my children.)

Me:  I love you.

Child:  (smile)

Me:  Do you know why I love you?                                                

Child:  Why?

Me:  Because you are you.

Mr. Rogers loved all of us “just the way we are.” His words of encouragement and philosophy of kindness reflected his unconditional, consistent, and sincere love. Fred Rogers taught us the answer is always love. 

  “I think that those who would try to make you fee...

 

My dad was magical. He could cut a string in half and then magically restore it to one piece. He filled a glass with water, balanced it on its side, and somehow kept it from spilling. He could make a book fall from the shelf by itself and then blame the ghosts for knocking it down. The list goes on, each trick leaving us more amazed than the last. Afterward, my brothers and I would gather around, trying unsuccessfully to uncover his secrets.

 

My favorite magic was watching my dad create somet...