The Power of Honest Conversations

Posted on February 18, 2026 by msw blog

 I tell people how I really am. When the phone rings or I’m at the store and someone asks how I am, I no longer answer with a pat, “Great! And you?” I honestly tell them how I am—yes, really. Whether that’s downright exhausted, good but busy, furious at my ex-husband, or proud of my son. Candidness leads to deeper connections, more laughs, and real conversation starters. Afterward, we’ve covered enough ground to follow-up with a text that references the podcast advice, real estate tip, or YouTube video that comes up—which continues what could have been a brief, bland greeting.  

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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The best mail I ever received

Posted on February 18, 2026 by msw blog

In my junior year of college in 1974, I was living on the $10 a week that Mom sent. Dad had recently retired. One day, I went to the post office and found a letter from the Social Security Administration. It was a check for $142.50, a benefit of my dad’s retirement. Neither parent had told me about it.

I treated my whole gang of friends to dinner (and lots of beer) that Saturday. I don’t remember the total bill, but I had lots of money left over. I opened my first bank account, and I never worried about money again. Whatever I had was enough.

Paul Lancaster, Blacksburg, Virginia

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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Embrace Touch

Posted on February 17, 2026 by msw blog
  • touch makes you feel? What can you do to create more moments like that in your life?

Touch is healing, emotional, and transformative. When we allow ourselves to receive and embrace touch, we create space for softness and connection. And as we experience the power of touch, we’re reminded to move through the world with that same gentleness and care, for ourselves and for others.

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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round dining table

Posted on February 16, 2026 by msw blog

Try a round dining table. There are no bad seats at a circular table, especially when you’re entertaining a crowd.

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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From Superman to Man

Posted on February 16, 2026 by msw blog

I recently started reading From Superman to Man by Joel Augustus Roger’s (130 pages, 1968),but decided not to finish it. The book is structured around a conversation between a highly educated, well-traveled African American Pullman porter and a racist Southern senator.

The porter is incredibly patient and polite, using his extensive notes and literary knowledge to debunk the senator’s prejudices. While the discourse on race is historically fascinating, informative, and necessary, it lacks a strong narrative drive. As an African American woman, I found the senator’s ignorance and the porter’s endless patience with him exhausting to read.

I have a 50-page cutoff for books, and I reached that point and decided to put it down. While it is a powerful and educational read that effectively dismantles various stereotypes, the content made it difficult to get through as a story. I would still recommend it to anyone looking to become more racially informed, but it functions more as a rhetorical debate than a novel.

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