Karri J.McClure

I always love the stories about the cute older couples that met when they were young and are now in their 80's or 90's. I envy their years together and the experiences that time has brought them. The interviews are adorable and, more than anything, I think I am jealous that they never had to start over, erase the white board, clear the clutter, or rebuild what has been torn down. I would be foolish to think that they didn't experience tough times. It can't all be amazing or we would take it for granted. I do love that they had someone to experience it all with though.  I can only imagine what that would be like. I used to go to the nursing home and volunteer to read to the men and women there. I would go from room to room and visit with them if they wanted company. Some of them did not, but, the ones that did, would talk to me about their lives. I would ask them questions and we would laugh or I would read to them. I admired their wisdom and experience. They had lived...

I walked outside tonight to look at the sky before the sun set. I love the way it looks after the storm has passed. It’s not as hot tonight and the clouds are picking up all the colors of the setting sun. It rained all day today and the air is thick with moisture. I love the sunshine, but, the dry Arizona desert has made me love rainy days, like today, so much more. I stand in the rain and smell the raindrops as they evaporate from the hot cement in my driveway. My dogs huddle in the garage and I am right out in the middle of it. As I stood there and watched the colors and clouds change, I started thinking about the storms in our own lives. I am not sure I enjoy running out into those. We do everything we can to avoid them most of the time. Sometimes, that even includes lying to ourselves or ignoring our truth. For me, the storm is always a little slap in the face. I am a forever optimist and strive to see the good in others and situations. It doesn’t always work and then, I deal w...

I am heading back to Arizona tomorrow and although, I have enjoyed my time with my family, I am ready to be home. I have had trouble sleeping the last couple of nights and I know that it is because I think too much. Yesterday morning I went to the basement apartment that my brother lived in until he passed last year. Everything was just as he left it. My mom hasn’t been able to clean it out and I can’t blame her. I sat down in the bedroom and stared at the wall for what felt like hours. I stood in his closet and traced the shoulders of his shirts with my fingers. As my eyes moved to the top shelf, I saw a leather notebook. I picked it up and started to flip through the pages. He had made a list of the places he wanted to go. Amsterdam, Colorado, Whistler all had a spot on his pages. There were so many thoughts that he captured and reading them made me feel close to him for a brief moment. It feels so unfair that I am a year older and he isn’t here anymore...

I am sitting on my mom’s back patio enjoying the cool morning air and watching the sun slowly climb over the mountains above her house. Everything is so green here. After becoming accustomed to the Arizona landscape, the mountains and the trees look so big now. I woke up early and poured a big cup of caffeine and came outside to write this morning. I am working on a self-imposed deadline for my book and am pushing towards it like I always do. I put the book aside to write this week’s blog and will return to it shortly. I have a lot of thoughts going through my mind this morning. Coming home always does that to me. Home is wherever my mom is. She makes a beautiful home and her strength and spirit amaze me. I once told someone that if all women end up like their mother, I am one of the luckiest people around. She has always been determined and strong. I am so thankful for her example and all the things she has taught me throughout the years. I also spent some time with my...

A year ago today I received a call at 6am telling me that they had taken my brother to the hospital via ambulance and that he would be there until he passed. The bleeding in his brain couldn’t be stopped. I got up, got ready, and went into work. Looking back, I think that I was in shock. Why the hell would I go to work? When I got there, I told my boss and his boss what was going on. They told me to leave, but realizing that I would be out the entire next week for my birthday, I told them I would stay. I sat down, turned on my computer, and stared at the screen. I didn’t move. I just stared at the screen. For a moment, I felt like I was alone on an island. I was completely alone. I blinked twice, stood up, walked to my boss’s office and said, “I need to go and I’m not sure when I will be back.” I went home, packed a suitcase in record time, threw my dogs in my truck and hit the road. I remember that I had downloaded a book entitled “Real Love” for the dr...

I had a completely different blog that I was going to post this week about give and take in relationships and remembering what you want out of life. That will have to wait. Because of a series of events that have transpired in my life, I want to share something a little bit different. Maybe this week’s blog is more for me than anyone else. I hope that you can pull something from it that will help you make better choices in your own lives. Over the last few days, I had been sorting out a lot of my past and working to identify what I really want in my life. It has been a difficult realization and the exploration has been taxing. I love to plan and analyze “the could be”, “how can I”, and “what if” processes of decision making, however, I am a firm believer that what is supposed to happen will happen. I work hard to understand different perpectives and try not to have any expectations most of the time. Man, all this thinking makes me sleepy. I wrote out some pros and cons...

Are you a fan of taking chances? Would you go to Vegas and put it all on black just for the rush? I am not that person. I can be brave and, sometimes, fearless but I will not usually throw caution to the wind. I believe in taking risks and tend to stay on the side of the calculated kind. Being analytical, I always try to determine the best possible outcome and take that route. Okay, in all honesty, I do that in every part of my life, except, that crazy, stupid love part. Yes, I have had many “WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?” moments in my more than 30 years (I won’t admit to many more than that.) I guess that is where my big personality conflict lies. I love adventure and calculated risk. Hmmmm, I am sure you see my dilemma here. With taking chances, risk, and fear, there are always opportunities to give in and walk away. It can be scary. You know what else can be scary? Not taking them and not living. We all love our comfort zone. It’s safe there and we ...

There was a time in my 20’s when I was working two jobs and going out with my friends in some capacity about 6 nights a week. We always rested and recharged on Sundays. I never stopped, okay, maybe once or twice to do laundry and/or dust something. I had 4 roommates and the energy of the energizer bunny. When I look back at those years, I had a great time. I went back to school and got a better job working for my parent’s company. I moved from the office to sales to managing one of their showrooms. When they sold the business, I moved to a bigger company and worked my way up as quickly as I could. I refocused all that energy of two jobs and going out all the time into my work. I never disconnected and it paid off. I received recognition for teams I led, high fives from my peers, and my team’s loved me. I then moved to different departments and with my focus and energy I didn’t stop. I dated and loved, but, nothing really stuck. I forgot to want to settle down and just fo...

The experiences we have in life leave imprints on us. The love we received or didn’t receive from the people that were supposed to love us unconditionally, the hurt of life’s losses or sad times, the love that we feel for another person, the laughter we experience, the joy of being a parent, or maybe, the despair of wanting children and never having them. Regardless of our life’s journey, there are things that mold our beliefs about ourselves and the life we have. Sometimes, in the course of that journey, we forget to love ourselves. We don’t remember that most important thing that makes the biggest difference. I remember being in my late 30’s and realizing that I would not be able to have children. My mom, the forever optimist said, “Maybe there is still a chance. Maybe there is hope that it will happen for you.” I knew in my heart that the one thing I had wanted my entire life, would not be realized. For a while, there was an empty spot in my heart and soul. I was that...

Four years ago, I was running late to a family event. I was irritated that I had to travel all the way to a different valley after work, in traffic, to make it for my brother's college graduation. My little brother, that snowboarding, free spirited, dad of two was about to graduate. I thought about coming up with an excuse to not go. He wouldn't miss me and he certainly didn't need me there. I was happy for him and his accomplishment, but, was concerned with the traffic and how long it would take me to get there and then, I had to get home. My mom gave me a guilt trip about showing up and I knew that an excuse would never get me out of this one. The truth is, I never realized how much of an accomplishment that would be. At the age of 25, my brother was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. He sat in a doctor's office and was told that they would do everything they could and, finally, assured him that this would eventually take his life...