by Deb Kalmbach | friendship, girls, tweens
A few weeks before Christmas, my husband Randy and I tuned in to a livestream to watch our 11-year-old granddaughter’s 6th grade choir concert. Despite a slightly fuzzy picture, there she was—what a gift to enjoy the concert from our living room over two hours...
by Deb Kalmbach | addiction, alcoholism, comfort, compassion, difficult relationships, encouragement, faith, forgiveness, friendship, gratitude, hope, life, love, loving others, marriage, perseverance, personal growth, reconciliation, recovery, substance abuse, women
God still sends angels: ones with skin, hair and belly laughs. Angels like our friend, Jim. I met him at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting where I was the speaker for Al-Anon. I remember feeling at a loss for encouraging words. My situation with Randy and his alcoholism...
by Deb Kalmbach | blessings, encouragement, faith, friendship, gratitude, loving others
A couple of months ago, Randy and I traveled to Austin, Texas for a reunion of the 15th TRS (Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron) which was stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. We had an amazing time reconnecting with old friends. Most we hadn’t seen in...
by Deb Kalmbach | compassion, difficult relationships, encouragement, faith, friendship
When I was 33-years old, I slipped on an icy sidewalk and fractured my knee cap. Ouch! I never dreamed how much something that looked like a simple “skinned knee” could impact my life. In an instant, I had been sidelined. It was as if God had grabbed me...
by Deb Kalmbach | blessings, faith, friendship, grace, gratitude
When my mom had a mastectomy a couple of years ago, my dear friend Mary came to be with me. Mary arrived at the hospital after Mom came out of surgery. Seeing a familiar face felt so reassuring. I threw my arms around my friend. I knew I could walk through this...
by Deb Kalmbach | Al-Anon, alcoholism, faith, friendship, hope
Doris was the first person I met in the community where I’ve lived for almost 18 years. She passed away in May at the age of 92. I chided myself for not visiting more during her last months. Doris suffered from dementia and other ailments, so I’m not...
