Month: September 2025

We are reading the Outsider’s right now. “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost is a poem Ponyboy shares with Johnny as they hide in the church.

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

The poem is basically about:

• First leaves of spring (new, gold) → quickly change to green.
• Dawn is fleeting.
• Beauty and innocence fade quickly.

Life’s best moments are brief but precious.

Youth, innocence, purity, hope, beauty—all things that don’t last forever.

Now, Tatum wrote her own:

Friendship Tree
By: Tatum Hay

(inspired by Nothing Gold Can Stay from The Outsiders)

 Friendship is like a tree.

They are always there for you and me. 

But sometimes a storm comes and blows.

This storm is very strong and shows 

That maybe this friend isn’t that good

Maybe their real wood

Is rotting 

And then they were plotting 

To ruin your heart 

From the start. 

Friends come and go

But don’t let the bad ones show 

You that you suck 

Because they are bad luck 

And you know that they are wrong. 

Friendship is like a tree 

where strong branches can show you belong. 

The TENS unit doesn’t blast you with force; it sends steady, rhythmic waves that quietly wake up tired muscles and remind nerves to come back to life. It’s not dramatic, but it’s consistent …. and over time, those tiny sparks create movement, relief, and strength. ( I PRAY!)

That’s what my body needs too. My stomach often struggles because the pylorus (the small valve at the bottom of the stomach that’s supposed to open and let food pass into the small intestine) can get “stuck.” When that happens, food backs up, digestion halts, and everything feels heavy and painful. My doctor is working with me to gently “nudge” this area so that insulin and food can move the way they’re supposed to.

We are finally getting to the root cause of so many of my issues. My body isn’t producing enough insulin, and with that comes a cascade of side effects: insomnia, bone-deep fatigue, burning pain in my legs, and slowed digestion. Eating more carbs is part of the solution, and wearing my CGM has been eye-opening. For example, one day my blood sugar stayed mostly in the 80s, BECAUSE my STOMACH WAS FROZEN; I was “stuck.” Then, when my pylorus finally released at dinner, my blood sugar shot up to 180;

all that food suddenly hit my bloodstream at once. Fascinating to see, but so hard to live through. Painful too.

Still, I’m getting there. I’ve gained 10 pounds in three months, and that’s a victory. It’s a day-at-a-time journey, but like the TENS stimulator, I’m trusting the gentle pulses, the steady nudges, and God’s grace to keep moving me forward.

The girl is getting older. You can see it in the “I’m too cool to smile” look she’s starting to wear like a badge of honor. It’s her season of independence, of trying on confidence in new ways, of experimenting with who she wants to be.

Meanwhile, I’m past that. I’ve outgrown the need to look cool, to prove myself, to keep up with trends. Instead, I’m perfectly content being tender and loving… at least when it comes to Rio! That little yellow bird brings out the softness in me every time.

And speaking of cool…let’s talk about Arizona weather. We may not get snow flurries or crisp fall air, but what we do get are haboobs. Dust storms so fierce they roll in like giants across the desert, yet leave behind the most breathtaking gifts: sunsets painted in fire (Tot took this!)

and rainbows glowing against the evening sky.

The kind of beauty that makes you stop, stare, and remember that God really is the best artist.

So maybe cool isn’t about the look on your face. Maybe it’s about the way you live, the love you give, and the colors you pause to notice. Out here in AZ, “cool” is a little bird on your finger, a girl growing up too fast, and a sunset that stops you in your tracks.