Victoria Ponders

fathers

January 5, 2025

Unexpected Encouraging Words: “You Might Fail”

My dad, Sonny, always had plenty of advice to offer but he wasn’t the type to pipe up with unsolicited input. If you wanted to know what he thought about something, you needed to ask. His face gave away little unless he wanted you to see what he was thinking. It was a vocational asset… Continue reading

Family, Surviving Sue

advice, author, encouragement, fathers, goals, Inspiration, motivation, new year, Surviving Sue, wisdom, writer
June 10, 2024

Surround Me Now

Today marks the 27th anniversary of my dad, Sonny’s passing. Living with loss is one of the life’s greatest achievements, I think. Not a day goes by without thinking about my dad – for one reason or another. Every year he consumes my thoughts when June 10 rolls around. Sometimes fleeting glimpses of silly moments… Continue reading

Family

Family, fathers, gratitude, Inspiration, love, memories
June 6, 2024

Dream a Little Dream…

I forget how useful it can be to surrender my troubles to my dream state. It’s not a fail-safe method, but letting my subconscious go forth and fetch a solution or two is like magic. No, it’s not like ordering a pizza. Delivery isn’t assured and the toppings are unpredictable, but it’s worth a whirl. … Continue reading

podcast

authors, dreams, fathers, Inspiration, love, podcast, relationships, storytelling
May 17, 2024

Podcast Friday! Remembering Matters

“The world is shaped by two things – stories told and the memories they leave behind.” -Vera Nazarian My dad, Sonny, was a joyful man. At times. When I rewind and attempt to find photos where he’s smiling, though, I’m at a loss. When life was good, he was typically behind the camera capturing the… Continue reading

podcast

advocacy, disabilities, empathy, Family, fathers, love, podcast, storytelling, wisdom
December 22, 2023

Happy Birthday, Dad! ❤

Ho, Ho, Ho…and a heads-up! You may have read this post from a year ago…thinking about my beloved papa as his birthday rolled around. Today marks what would’ve been his 88th birthday and I’ll be celebrating him all day – in ways large and small – not least of which as I remember the gifts he… Continue reading

Family

daughers, Family, fathers, gratitude, lessons, love, podcasts, wisdom
July 30, 2023

Learning from Wise Ones: Three C’s

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. -Viktor Frankl When people ask me – especially after reading “Surviving Sue” – about my self-preservation secrets and tips for resiliency, I smile. … Continue reading

Wellness

fathers, gratitude, love, quotes, self-care, Wellness
April 24, 2023

Mr. Tinker/Thinker

I’m married to a man who likes to mull. He comes from a long line of thinkers and one of his father’s cherished possessions was this stained-glass gift, “Ho, Hum Tinker” (pictured above) from his work buddies. My father-in-law, Joe, was a well-regarded problem solver, working for a natural gas company and he had a… Continue reading

Family

deliberation, fathers, gratitude, great thinkers, love
August 17, 2022

Well Worn and Loved

Vintage shoes…the memories they hold. Continue reading

Design

daughters, Family, fathers, France, frye boots, memories, shoes, vintage

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

Peek Inside “Surviving Sue“

Visit Resources on Atkinson Group Solutions for more.

Workshops

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

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Peek Inside “Surviving Sue“

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