Grief doesn’t come with a handbook, but it does come with hard choices, unexpected emotions, and a steep learning curve. In this episode of Journey from Grief to Healing, Ray reflects on what it means to survive loss, grow through it, and rise stronger—like a duckling navigating life without a guide, or a warrior standing tall after every fall. With inspiration from poets Christina Rossetti and William Wordsworth, you’ll be reminded that you can do this… and you’re not alone.
Month: June 2025
Today’s Quote ~ The Music of Love
“When someone loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable.”― Jess C. Scott
Thinking ~ A Poem by Walter Wintle
Thinking
Walter Wintle
If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but you think you can’t
It is almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!
Raspberries, Rebels, and Refried Dreams: Why This Berry Deserves a Spot on Your Plate
Forget boring health food—raspberries are here to shake things up with flavor, fiber, and fiesta flair. These tart little rebels aren’t just for desserts; they’ve got serious wellness street cred and can hold their own in Tex-Mex dishes too (yes, seriously—and no, not in a salsa).
🍓 Four Healthy Reasons to Eat Raspberries
1. Antioxidant Avengers
Raspberries are loaded with powerful antioxidants like quercetin and ellagic acid that help neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation—protecting your brain, heart, and skin.
2. Fiber Powerhouse
With 8 grams of fiber per cup, raspberries keep things moving (if you catch my drift). They promote gut health, help regulate blood sugar, and keep you feeling full longer.
3. Blood Sugar Friendly
Despite their sweetness, raspberries have a low glycemic index. That means they’re safe for most people with blood sugar concerns and offer a steady stream of energy without spikes.
4. Vitamin C With a Kick
One cup has over 50% of your daily vitamin C needs, which boosts immune function, collagen production, and helps iron absorption—so you can fight off germs and look fabulous doing it.
🌮 Tex-Mex Recipe:
Raspberry Chipotle Veggie Quesadillas
Why it Works:
This isn’t your abuelita’s quesadilla—this savory-sweet combo brings roasted veggies, smoky chipotle, and a hint of raspberry magic for a flavor bomb you’ll want on repeat.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tbsp chipotle adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 4 whole grain tortillas
- Optional: dairy-free cheese or shredded chicken if not strictly plant-based
Directions:
- Make the Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce: In a blender, combine raspberries, chipotle adobo, lime juice, olive oil, and cumin. Blend until smooth. (Sweet heat, baby!)
- Sauté Veggies: In a skillet, sauté onion, zucchini, and bell pepper until tender. Add black beans to heat through.
- Assemble the Quesadilla: Spread raspberry-chipotle sauce on a tortilla, top with veggie-bean mix (and cheese or chicken if using). Cover with another tortilla.
- Cook: Heat on a nonstick skillet until crispy and golden on both sides. Slice and serve with a lime wedge.
Fun Twist:
Serve with a side of raspberry-lime guacamole (yes, it’s a thing—and it slaps)
Healthy Tips: Revenge is a Dish Best Left Off the Menu
Plotting revenge? That’s cute. But also exhausting, illegal in most states, and a digestive disaster.
Strategy:
Flip the Script: When the urge to “get even” strikes, write what you gained from the situation instead of focusing on what you lost.
Health Benefit:
Forgiving others—even when they don’t deserve it—boosts immune function and reduces chronic stress, keeping your body from staying in fight-or-flight mode.
Pep Talk:
Let karma be the chef. You’ve got better things to cook up—like inner peace and a spicy sweet potato bowl.
Elliptical Epiphanies: One Hour, One Machine, One Big Life Lesson
You can’t rush the clock on an elliptical machine—and it turns out, you can’t rush life’s timing either. What began as a sweaty battle against the ticking minutes turned into a surprising lesson in patience, peace, and perfect inner vision.
As fast as I try to go on the elliptical machine I cannot make my hour time end more quickly. I could move the elliptical machine only fast enough to register and the time would still pass as slowly or as quickly as my mind allowed it to pass. The elliptical machine teaches me some lessons. It teaches me to move to a pace that I feel give me a good workout and contributes to my health. It also teaches me patience. Some things will not happen in the timeframe that I want them to happen. They have their own timeframe. That’s true of my elliptical machine. One hour is one hour and I cannot make it move more quickly. My life’s lesson from the elliptical machine is to discover life’s natural flow and allow it to carry me in its current. The more I fight life’s current, the more stress I add to my life. When I flow with life’s current something internal happens and I am more at peace and my internal vision improves to 2020.
Healthy Foods: Berry Me in Strawberries: 4 Juicy Reasons to Make Every Day a Fresa Fiesta
Strawberries aren’t just for romantic comedies or overpriced Valentine’s Day gift boxes. These little red gems pack a health punch that would make your multivitamin blush—and they’re way more fun to eat.
🍓 4 Healthy Reasons to Eat Strawberries Every Day
1. Heart Hero
Strawberries are rich in anthocyanins, antioxidants that help reduce blood pressure and protect against heart disease. Your ticker says gracias.
2. Immune System Wingman
With more vitamin C per serving than an orange, strawberries help keep your immune defenses strong—so you can dodge colds like a ninja.
3. Skin Savior
Their high antioxidant content helps fight free radicals, boosting collagen production and keeping your skin as radiant as a San Antonio sunrise.
4. Brain Booster
Packed with flavonoids, strawberries support cognitive health, helping to slow memory decline. Great news for those of us who forget where we parked… daily.
🍓 South Texas Recipe:
Spicy Strawberry Pico de Gallo
Put away the sugar and whipped cream—this is the strawberry’s savory side. Here’s a unique, healthy, and refreshing take that pairs beautifully with tacos, grilled fish, or eaten by the spoonful while hiding from your family.
🌶️ Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (remove seeds unless you like danger)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: 1 avocado, diced (because why not?)
🥣 Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Let sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can mingle like old friends.
- Serve chilled over grilled tofu, fish, or tacos—or scoop it up with tortilla chips.
Pro tip: Add a sprinkle of Tajín for that authentic Tex-Mex kick.
🎤 Final Thought:
Let your strawberries do more than look cute in a bowl. Let them heal, nourish, and spice up your plate. It’s a berry beautiful way to live.
Passport Not Required: Why Your Soul Craves a Little Adventure (Even if It’s Just to the Corner Store)
Think you need a plane ticket and a passport to have an adventure? Think again. Whether it’s Venice or your neighbor’s garage sale, adventure is a mindset—and it’s begging you to RSVP “yes.”
I think deep within each of us there’s a need for adventure. At the present moment, I have a granddaughter in Venice. A daughter traveling with her college class on their way home from Italy and they are in London waiting for a connecting flight. I have a friend at the gym who told me he and his wife are headed to Boston and Cape Cod later this summer. Another friend and his wife are on a cruise traveling through the Gulf of Mexico on their Caribbean adventure. Adventures are good. They give us something to look forward to. They give us stories to bring back and tell over and over again during the winter. We don’t have to go far from home for an adventure. Taking an adventure really is doing something totally different from what we habitually do. Adventurous keep us young in spirit. They’re good for us. We can make every day an adventure. What adventures do you have in mind for today?
Writing Prompt: Murder, Mayhem, and Missing Muffins: A Mystery Writing Prompt to Die For
Tired of your characters lounging around sipping tea and avoiding conflict? Throw them into a mystery so twisted even you won’t know who did it. Warning: writing this may cause uncontrollable plotting and dramatic gasps.
The Writing Prompt:
The town’s most beloved baker vanished the morning of the county fair, leaving behind only a blood-smeared spatula and a note that said, “Tell Margaret it wasn’t personal.”
Was it about love? Muffin sabotage? A sourdough starter gone sentient? You decide.
Opening Example:
Detective Eloise Grant eyed the half-eaten blueberry muffin like it was mocking her. The note, scrawled in lipstick on parchment, fluttered in the breeze as if it had secrets. And somewhere in the distance, the calliope music of the fair turned sinister.
Today’s Quote: You Are Where You Are
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”― Douglas Adams
