Stories & Blogs
Roy’s Sunday Letter fot August 3, 2025
One of Fifty Two It has been a long time since I have written something with a due date. I usually dreaded writing assignment as a student and would often wait till the last minute to complete the assignment. This opportunity has taken me on an adventure, and it all began with our dog, Jazz….
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 27, 2025
BODY MIND & SOUL The personal and professional training I received placed an emphasis on strengthening the connection between the body – mind -soul. Each one of us has positive individual characteristics. It is when we have a lifestyle of all three, balanced and coordinated, we are at our most healthy and well selves. And…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 20, 2025
FINDING OUR BEST, MOST ENJOYABLE WAY Beth and I had a delightful day trip to Granbury with our dear friend Elizabeth (101 years young). We had not been to Granbury in 35+ years. We found the small shops around the courthouse square flourishing and representing the culture of Granbury in the best of ways. We…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 13, 2025
HEALING STORIES IN TROUBLED TIMES Recently PBS and local KERA filmed an Arts & Culture series by bringing together Santa Fe high school students, from area schools. Each were asked to write about themselves or a news topic. The students then shared their writing with another student. These Santa Fe students took the risk of…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 6, 2025
SMALL PATCHES BECOME A QUILT Beth and I recently experienced something wonderful, exciting, and yes, even inspirational. Eight of “We” mid-age, elder age individuals who gathered weekly to meditate, were joined by forty middle and high school Black teen girls who were at the church for a day camp. Diane talked with the girls about…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for June 29, 2025
READER SUGGTSIONS OF TOPICS AND AREAS OF INTEREST Last week, I asked readers of the Sunday Letter to suggest topics and areas of interest. I received wonderful suggestions and challenges to include in this week’s Sunday Letter. Jerry E. and Marcia would like to know what books, magazines, or podcasts you read or listened to…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for June 22, 2025
INDIVIDUAL AND DAILY LIFE LIMITATIONS Limitations come to us all…they can be physical, emotional, mental, financial, spiritual, as well as phones and digital technology. Limitations can be challenges to overcome, each brings learning, broadening and changing who we are. Perhaps the most meaningful learning comes when we accept and invite life limitations to live alongside…
Roy’s Sunday Letter June 15, 2025
MEMORIES, OF LONG AGO AND NOW In so many ways, we are our memories, both the ones from our childhood and the newest, for example, from Thursday’s lunch with a friend. There are some that come with “Do Not Disturb Signs.” As we know those are in the past and it is really ok to…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for June 8, 2025
WHO INSPIRES YOU & WHO DO YOU INSPIRE? My Sunday question: Who Inspired you at the different stages of your life: youth – emerging adulthood – mid-life – senior or elder years? In what ways did Inspiration change your achievements or help you to face and over-come challenges. What or who is an Inspiration to…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for June 1, 2025
ROY AT 81 YEARS Somewhere, I have a copy of 1944 “Shore to Ship” cable to my Navy Officer father, on a ship somewhere off Normandy. The cable announced my birth. My mother was living with her parents on their east Texas farm in Gladewater. And yes, 81 is just a number, but also a…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 10, 2026
MOTHER’S DAY 2026 Writing about mother’s is an opportunity as well as a challenge… Readers of the Sunday Letter may have experienced birth mothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law or other family members who provided the role of mothers as best possible. Through our service at the Hope & Healing Place in Amarillo, we also know of mothers’…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 3, 2026
All About Goodness First Goodness: I had been dreading the clinic appointment with the Cardiologist. I had completed 3 recent heart tests and would hear test results and recommended next treatment…perhaps a Pacemaker or new medication. Instead, our MD explained my heart had a minor flow issue but were not health threatening. “See you in…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 26, 2026
About HOPE….How To Keep….Offer HOPE To Others Lately, as I have talked and listened to friends and family, I heard and felt their general despair. This despair seems to be from reports on the news, decisions being made by the unqualified, random acts of violence and harm to the innocent. I also heard and felt…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 19, 2026
Benefits of Letting the Old Man or Woman In Toby Keith wrote and recorded Don’t Let the Old Man In during his last months of treatment and eventual death from stomach cancer. There is a popular site offering T-shirts, hats, and bags with this message. I understand the resistance and push back of letting the…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 12, 2026
Paying Attention And Accepting My Limitations Beth, Peter, and I gather twice monthly to share writings and journals. We three also share of our individual lives. Beth and Peter encouraged me to allow a recent individual writing as the content of a Sunday Letter and thus I have done so this week. This Sunday Letter…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 5, 2026
This Easter weekend Beth & I walked our neighborhood block of 16 homes. Beth had prepared a gift bag for each neighbor with Zucchini bread, a card with her original art on the front and contact information. Both Jesus and Mr. Rogers spoke about neighbors. By knocking on 16 doors, we extended the hand of…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for March 29, 2026
Neighbors and Neighborhoods 2026 I am writing this week about the ways both neighbors and neighborhoods have changed, never to return to the days of images and memories of our experiences often reflected in a TV series or movie. Beth and I live on a traditional block of 16 homes. In my youth I grew-up…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for March 22, 2026
Being Safe, Prayers All Will Be Safe Where was your safe place as a child and later as a teen? Who were the individuals or groups who taught you about safety and provide you safety as a child…as a teen. Today, who are you teaching about safety and being free from harm? In what ways…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for Match 15, 2026
A Writing About Balancing The Quiet & The Noise A writer of people’s stories placed a recording microphone in a city park. His sign, asked a simple question, Who Inspired You? The resulting stories were of teachers, grandparents and the encouragement of others. I would add these similar signs: Who Gave You Comfort? Who Listened…
Roy’s Sunday Letter for March 8, 2026
Meaningful Insights of the Week This week’s Sunday Letter will highlight several insights, words and phrases I have read or heard this week. Friends and family members who give us support continue to change, shift as illness, relocations, death, and lifestyle preferences reshape our circle of relationships. Hopefully, we are adding and inviting new friends,…