Roy’s Sunday Letter for November 23, 2025
NOTES ALONG THE WAY
Some of us stuff crumble notes in our pockets or purse. My notes are scattered in notebooks, cards, or sticky notes. Today’s Sunday Letter is a gathering together of random notes.
Beth Forwards social postings she finds meaningful, or with an unusual insight. One of her favorites is a young Black man walking in a neighborhood sharing truths and stories of one minute or less. He tells the story of a young girl discovering her own happiness that is found by helping others, young and elder, to find their own happiness. Another story is told as raindrops are falling. The young man’s comment, “I have experienced a lot of storms in my life, so I can handle a few raindrops.” The social site is Global Mind. Enjoy.
- We watched and learned from the six-part series by Ken Burns, The American Revolution. The series showed a Revolution conceived not only in big rooms or proclamations, but by years of bloody, tragic losses not only by Patriots, but Slaves also freed and encumbered, Loyalists, tribal Indians, farmers, towns people and their families. An educator friend remarked, “I taught American History for twenty years but so much in this series I was never taught or knew.” What is something you did learn or better understood from the series?
Fiction writers and their characters can sometime mirror ourselves. “Grandma launched into one of favorite rants of how this generation works too hard and too long, never turning off their devices…and now AI, whatever that is?” Is grandma right about today’s “too hard and too long” workstyle? Have you or your family experienced isolation from each other by busy calendars and grab and go meals?
- Coffee with a friend who also enjoys a garden and the seasonal changing of plants and colors. My friend shared, with sadness, the noticeable decline in bees, insects, butterflies, and the lessening of migrating birds. What are you seeing, or not seeing in your garden and flower beds? Do you plant to attract bees and butterflies?
Brazil’s Rain Forest has been called “the world’s lungs.” The turnover of land to farming and crops has added to growing deforestation. The Rain Forest Foundation has brought business, climate and environment advocates, and local villagers to plant millions of seedlings and increasing the amount of land purchased to add to the Rain Forest land trust. What are local causes and those like the Rain Forest who are strengthened by your volunteering or economic support?
There are more notes in notebooks and sticky notes but enough for this Sunday. I close with the wisdom of Charlie Mackesy from his new book, Always Remember “One day you’ll look back and realize how hard it was, and just how well you did.” However hard or long, you and others reading this Sunday Letter, did well, very well indeed.
Roy, being grateful for those engage and have become my supporting village
I really like your closing statement, “ one day you’ll look back and realize how hard it was and how well you did. “ So often we do not give ourselves enough credit for living life to its fullest each and every day. I am so Thankful for your musings, Roy, they make me think.
THank you for the compliment that I make you think.
All the Comments (several on email) make me think as well.
Whatever we do we do together.
I need the same encouragement to think as well.
All the Comments, and emails, encourage me as well.
Beth to call you Monday.
Our lunches encourage me as well.
Thank you for the mentioning of making you think…..We do so together, the only path I know.
Best to the morning sun after tonights rain…..RB
Roy,
That last one is a keeper! It is hard, and we are all doing the best we can.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Beth.
Sandra
Indeed a keeper
Never enough encouragement as support and keeo at it words.
Your willingness to show up amazing and a power of its own.
We 4 continue and that is important…..RB
On my way to two country churches hour and half away. The lectionary rhythm is crucifixion leading into advent scramble which leads to surprising birth. What I see is last week’s white cotten field freshly empty next to fresh green of neighboring field. Liturgical rhythm meeting earth’s rhythm. About 11 days ago a fall over root covered by leaves when I added one more thing to my overly full day by trying to take two piles of already raked leaves to the road. Same week my daughter has miscarriage in middle of surprise pregnancy and keep fighting with medical opinions of doctors until she got a listener. The unexpected tangles with our expected. And student from 45 years ago writes about moving back home to care for mother’s last days and then her aunt’s and then her husbands complicated health. She writes of thankful of college years upstairs at our house and rewarms our complicated morning. Thanksgiving for the surprising rhythms of grace. Crossing the Roanoke River
Yes, the rhythms of our days are indeed complicated.
So important to be present for come and go and fluid flow of it all
Daughters. listeners, loss, finding the edges of the path once again…..as you both do so well.
Travel easy and take us with as witnesses and passengers….RB
Good morning Roy and thanks for the letter.. Storms and raindrops.. two simple words to help us keep it all in perspective.
Bob, thanks for sharing some of the challenges you and your family/friends have faced recently. my recovering from bicep surgery and adjusting to growing hearing loss don’t seem such big hurdles, by comparison. Thanks for this .
Roy perhaps diverting a few of the notes/stickies from the trashcan to a post my way?? …. would be a simple and enjoyable glimpse into a mind of great intellect and attention.
thanks again for all your efforts.. keep writing!!
Friend Mike on Sunday PM
Sometimnes left over random notes carry the messages and meanings important to us all.
I have more tucked into notebooks.
I found a 1989 newspaper clipping in a long ago read book….I will rebirth 1989 next Sunday.
Tis a fast moving this world of ours.
Keeping feet on the ground essential.
Best of best days to you both……RB