The Braley Blog

“Pete’s Daily Connection”

  • “Try a Little Kindness”

    “Try a Little Kindness”

      The other day I kept seeing the same woman and her husband aisle after aisle in Wal-Mart. Did you ever notice how that happens? Of course it makes sense because you’re both just going about your business and you keep following each other. What made this interesting was that one of us seemed to…

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  • “The Feel of Fall”

    “The Feel of Fall”

    Now this is more like it. I’m not going to lie, I liked having warm weather in late September and here in October but now that the weather has turned more fall-like it feels good. Like many others, my wife and I try not to turn the heat on until November. We have a wood…

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  • I Find People Amazing

    I Find People Amazing

    I think I’ve always been a people watcher and I have to ask: “Is there any place on earth that’s better for it than the airport?” Yes, I guess it’s a bit judgemental but I mean no harm. I’m just observing people and wondering. Wondering what their life Is like, what is their story? Airports…

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  • “Vacation, What’s Stopping You?”

    “Vacation, What’s Stopping You?”

      The other day my wife pointed out something I hadn’t realized: we just had our first real vacation since before my stroke. That was two and a half years ago. We’ve had a holiday trip to see the kids with plenty of rest time built in for me and we had been to Vermont…

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  • The Power of Music

    The Power of Music

    I was reminded this week of the power of music. It’s something that I learned long ago but I got a reminder recently on a nice warm summer night. I’ve always known how a song can come on the radio and instantly take you back to another time. It’s not necessarily the first time you…

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  • “Falling Into Place”

    “Falling Into Place”

    I read another quote this week that made me think. I know, I read too much. I should spend more time watching reality tv or playing video games. The quote said, “Sometimes when things are falling apart they might actually be falling into place.” I thought that was pretty good. Speaking just for myself, I’ve…

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  • “Are You Too Busy?”

    “Are You Too Busy?”

    You hear it all the time: “I’m sorry but I’m just SO busy” and I get that because I’ve been busy too. For those that don’t know much about my story, we had four children involved in all the things four children like to do, though the girls didn’t take dance class. I escaped attending…

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  • “You’re Not Finished Coloring”

    “You’re Not Finished Coloring”

    I read a great quote last week that made me stop and think. “We are all a little broken. But the last time I checked, broken crayons still color the same.” This seems to be a good time of year to discuss this. It’s back-to-school time when the crayons are new, the notebooks are filled…

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  • Nights Are Tough

    Nights Are Tough

    I think nighttime is the hardest part of the day when you’re dealing with stroke rehab. It’s probably the hardest time of the day when you’re dealing with anything now that I think about it. Whether it’s a stroke, a cardiac issue, a death or a break up….nights are hard. You’re alone with your thoughts.…

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  • Know Your Medical Info

    Know Your Medical Info

    I was talking to a paramedic friend of mine the other day; a close friend that I’ve known for years; my wife for those of you who don’t know. She was sharing with me a frustration that she has on the job. People don’t know what medications they’re putting into their bodies and they depend…

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