Random Thoughts of Amy Potts

     I had the privilege of spending time with Mike and his extended family this past weekend.  As family functions go, there was much to learn about each other and to simply refresh our memories.  Being somewhat new to the Potts family, I had the difficult task of remembering the names of the adults, children and family pets.  I survived and am a better woman because of it.  There were some tears, but they evaporated quickly into laughter as the reminiscing soon turned to the wiles of our youth.         Whenever I am in a situation like this, I am taken back in my mind to a little town in Iowa called Pierson.  It is where my life began.  I would often walk to the edge of town; within a couple blocks no matter the direction, to wade in the shallow creek.  Squishing mud between my toes while the cool water splashed on my ankles, life could not be better.  With the accompaniment of the meadowlark...

I was watching the Oklahoma City Marathon on television a couple years ago from my hotel room. I was not feeling well that day and my husband was running so I was hoping for a glimpse of him. I usually go to his races and drive ahead on the course so that I can encourage him along the way. Then I will drive to the finish line and wait for him to cross. In my mind I am thinking of his personal goal for the race and I'm watching the finish line clock hoping the best for my runner man. The weather in Oklahoma City that day was not the best. The Oklahoma winds came "sweeping down the plains" and into the city, on this overcast day. I was listening to a former marathon runner talk about how days like this were deceptive to the runners. Because the wind was wiping the sweat from their bodies as quickly as it came, it may have felt to the runners as though less hydration was necessary. So they wouldn't drink as much water as they usually did because they felt alrig...

I love to hear people say, "I worked like a dog today". Why do I like this expression? I like it because I have a dog and I know what she does all day. Granted, she is a Corgi, and from what I have read about dogs of her breed, they are great herding dogs. I use the term, they, broadly because not all corgis herd cattle by day and guard their owners by night. While our Chloe does exhibit herding tendencies, it is our cat that she redirects and not necessarily at our command. She works when it is convenient. Mostly she plays with a ball and takes naps. Which, sounds like a professional athlete's job. That is a blog entry in itself. So this is how I suppose my day would look if I worked like our dog. I would wander into the office when I was ready, after making many detours on the way. When I finally arrive, I will wander from person to person looking for a good ear scratching. I might even sniff them if I'm not feeling too secure. After some enthusiastic cha...

Everyone knows the joke about the dyslexic atheist who claimed "there is no doG". I have to say that as a Christian I believe in God and I had a doG who at times was the only one who could convince me He was still listening. I grew up in a home where we always had a dog and cat. We learned about life and death with these beloved creatures. We watched kittens and puppies be born; sometimes in the most inconvenient places. I also felt the sadness of saying goodbye. As I grew old enough to understand the power of friendship and the symbolism in letting go of "man's best friend", I realized that there is more to life than just existing. I found a way as a young woman to understand that life is not just a matter of our heart beating one minute and then stopping. It is about relationships; good and bad. It is about learning how to love, and how to forgive. It is as much about pain as it is about pleasure. It is about learning how to balance it all in a world th...