Introducing Good Rising

The process of naming someone or something is the first step in legitimizing value and importance. Deciding on a name for a child is one of the most important anointing rituals new parents can bestow. My husband and I spent the better part of my pregnancies “trying on” various names for the little bundles we prepared to meet. Even as our children walk adulthood, their names still define them with love and intention.

Naming new ventures emboldens enthusiasm. Naming difficult emotions is the first step towards healing. Naming dreams helps to expose the root of our subconscious concerns. Even naming cars gives the 10-year-old clunker an element of affection. My brother called our 1976 chartreuse green Chevy Chevette “Slimer” for obvious reasons. I still remember my daughter’s childhood imaginary friend, “Versie,” who was blamed for most of the mischief my then 3-year-old found herself immersed in. Let’s just say Versie was not so accurate with nail polish. Flamingo pink lacquer drizzled all over almond colored bedroom carpet is something only Versie would do, at least that was the story my young Flamingo pink fingertipped (and then some) daughter stuck to. The act of naming is important.

Today, I’d like to introduce my newly named Dayton Daily News column. For many of you who’ve followed my writings or even read my book, Just Give Me the Road, you know my mission is to find good in all things. I write about all sorts of good. From the uncontrollable giggles which spontaneously burst from my grandchildren after silly ice cream breakfasts to celebrating the aftermath of Winter chill with Spring daffodils, savoring goodness is balm for the soul.

Yet, we all know life is more than ice cream and daffodils. Despite our expectations that sweetness will distinguish our days, hardship and uninvited journeys can descend upon us like a tsunami; leaving a wake of altering despair. In such times, the search for positive is illusive and might take a back seat to survival. For some, even suggesting the presence of good might feel trite, shallow, or even insensitive. Yet, the definition of survival means finding something encouraging to thread one moment, one day to the next. For those who find themselves in the foxhole of difficulty, we must track the path towards hope; for without hope we are doomed.

I get it. My family has had our own personal experiences with unimaginable trauma and loss. Our loss to suicide, caring for elderly parents, and my nephew’s hard and arduous recovery from severe traumatic brain injury have been navigated by pursuit for good. I realize how important it is to support hard times with gentle wafts of loveliness that soften the harsh edges of pain. During a recent coffee shop gathering with others who share the heartbreaking byproducts of suicide, we all recognized that our simple act of being together was good and for a moment helped to soothe the piercing pain of loss.

So here we are; together in this big, varied, and colorful life together. And now, we have a name which legitimizes our span of life experiences; all different but relatable nonetheless. Sometimes fun, sometimes hard, always authentic. I hope we can continue the dialogue of the heart we’ve had over the past several years of my tenure with the Dayton Daily News. The stories of the extraordinary in the ordinary continue to be worth sharing. I look forward to being with you every Thursday morning here in my home with you, my Neighbors.

Welcome to Good Rising.