Victoria Ponders

Author of “Surviving Sue”

  • Smiling – “Real Big”

    I’m not sure I’ll find the right words to share what’s in my heart today, but I’ve put my fingers on the keyboard, so let’s find out. I found myself crying in the car the other day. Not from grief or sadness but the overwhelm that comes when joy invades. Straight to the heart. Reminding…

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  • Six Questions 😉

    I’ve never responded to a blogging prompt before, but who can resist an invitation from a dear friend who tagged me in? The delightful Melanie McGauran wrote a beautiful post recently, prompted – literally, by the charming Pete Springer who invited Melanie to peel back the layers and tell us about her blogging life. It’s…

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  • New Reviews! “Surviving Sue”

    I don’t think I’ll ever stop smiling when reviews of “Surviving Sue” come my way. Whether it’s my own busy days heightening my awareness about the preciousness of time or a new wave of gratitude, I am delighted when I receive reader feedback. And that’s before I read the review! 😉 Last week my ranking…

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  • Loving Lisa: “I’m Like the Others”

    “We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life.” – Carl Jung Learning from others helps me see past the inadvertent disguises I wear. Most often, a comforting mask of certainty. Knowingness. Surprises come when I can recognize a growth opportunity. An opening to embrace what I might overlook.…

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  • When You Crack Yourself Up: Ghost Writer

    Oh my. This story? It takes the cake. The whole bakery. You won’t believe what I did. At least I THINK it was my mistake. Let me explain. I’m working on my project…my lengthier-by-the-minute manuscript that’s a fictionalized account of one of the threads in “Surviving Sue”. One that’s intrigued readers, which I’ve taken as…

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  • Printers Row Lit Fest – Gratitude!

    Hey there! I’m checking in to share some tidbits about my second ever visit to Printers Row Lit Fest in gorgeous Chicago yesterday. Here are some top-of-mind gratitude thoughts the morning after: Listening to stories – discovering connecting threads between strangers about shared experiences, especially the challenges of tending to individual and generational trauma while…

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  • Reasons to Smile…

    Reason to Smile – #1: The 2024 Printers Row Lit Fest is set for Saturday, September 7 & Sunday, September 8, 10AM – 6PM. This FREE event takes place on the streets of South Dearborn, from Ida B Wells to Polk Street in Chicago. Come Rain or Shine! I’ll be there, in the Chicago Writers…

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  • Love Abundant

    Yesterday I learned a dear friend suffered a heart wrenching loss – the unexpected passing of a dear uncle. She said she’d felt a tug to reach out to him over the past few months but didn’t slow down to do so. How close to home does that confession hit? Too close. Too close for…

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  • Lisa’s Got Game!

    A reader of “Surviving Sue” asked recently about my sister Lisa’s awareness of the book, my blogging about her and our life with Sue. Such a good question… Given Lisa’s intellectual and developmental disabilities, I’ve never said, “I wrote a book about mom” because I knew it would stir residual emotional trauma for her. But…

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  • Bunnies, Books & Forgiveness

    The other day while sitting on the deck I had a visitor. A sweet baby bunny intent on munching on a leafy hunk of geranium, juicy and wet, freshly fallen from the large stone planter thanks to an overnight thunderstorm. She glanced at me, just a few feet away and must’ve concluded I looked harmless,…

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“Surviving Sue”, a special story about resiliency and love: Eckhartz Press (paperback) and eBook on Amazon.

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Chicago Writers Association Speakers Bureau – Writing for Wellness; Navigating Elder Care with Grace & Humor

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