Author: Janis Johnston

Malala Yousafzai is a queen without pearls on her neck. She does not represent any monarchy or have any subjects; instead, she has the entire planet’s girl population as her subject. She did not inherit her position but is a stick-your-neck-out person. Malala is like a queen chess piece. Her influence spans far corners of… Continue reading Take-a-stand Pearls

Would YOU like to be Queen or King for a day? Do you remember there was a radio (1945-1957) and TV (1956-1964) game show, Queen for a Day? Dramatic stories of women spilling their guts about financial hardship and stressed-out lives riveted audiences. With an applause meter, a TV “winner” was selected by audiences. Pomp… Continue reading Royal Pearls

I come from two giving grandmothers. One gave constant prayers for her family and families around the world. She gave away part of the family dinners to a family less fortunate down the block. My other grandmother gave away food, flowers for her church’s Sunday services each week, and her handmade crocheted doilies or afghans… Continue reading Pearls of Giving

Honoring workers on Labor Day became a national holiday in the U.S. on June 29, 1894, but an initial celebration occurred in New York City in 1882. Municipal ordinances followed to create local observances. Oregon became the first state to pass a law for the extra holiday, followed by Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York,… Continue reading Legacy Labor Pains

Is the Universe a fractal? No, but hundreds of billions of stars group together to form galaxies and are considered “fractal-like.” Do you understand this? I did not, so of course, I read a bit. Polish-French-American mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot is credited with putting forth Fractal Geometry where a mathematical formula frames “self-similar” repetitions in “…the… Continue reading De-stress with Fractal Patterns

On a particular day, the very hungry caterpillar stops eating. Do Monarch caterpillars grieve when they lose milkweed picnics and curl their many toes into chrysalis-stage? According to research, moths can remember what they learned when they were caterpillars! Could this suggest that these critters have hours of grief for the past? When it is… Continue reading Grief Hours

Spanish philosopher and poet Moses ibn Ezra (1060-1139) captures the essence of ageless wisdom: “Dive into the sea of thought and find there pearls beyond price.”  Our thoughts may be gems or junk. What are your thoughts about aging? What if re-feathering your nest could change how you think about aging? Designer Ingrid Fetell Lee (Joyful: The… Continue reading Aging Pearls

Joe Pye was a First Nations medicine man who used “wild” weeds (i.e., native plants) to cure typhoid fever. His tonic is reputed to have stopped an epidemic in Colonial Massachusetts. In his honor, a local plant was endowed with his name. Joe Pye Weed is a beautiful wildflower that produces clumps of blooms and… Continue reading Weedy Pearls

“The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain and the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout AGAIN.” How many times do spiders have to begin over (and over AGAIN) when some trespasser or storm disrupts their carefully… Continue reading Ritual Pearls

What does flourishing mean to you? Is there an age span for flourishing? I do not put age limits on an individual’s thriving, but aspects of our culture have a bias against an individual’s abilities as they age. Actor Cary Grant was sent a telegraph from Encyclopedia Britan­nica (oldie, but goodie territory). The telegram read, “How old… Continue reading Flourishing Pearls