We Can Do Hard Things

 

We Can Do Hard Things

Recently, I have been flabbergasted by what others have accomplished.  These are not necessarily momentous, but not trivial either.  I think when someone sets their mind to do something, it is consequential, no matter the enormity of the task.  For example, my two-year-old and three-year-old granddaughters have conquered the plastic slide in the playroom with an additional trick.  After sliding down the slide they proceed immediately into a somersault.  For their ages, this impresses me.  My oldest grandson recently memorized the entirety of Robert Louis Stephenson’s poem “My Shadow” and recited it with such expression on stage in front of the fourth and fifth graders that I beamed with pride.  When he first received the assignment, he was a little intimidated, but he met the challenge and came in third place amongst his peers.  My other grandson, who is nearly seven, attended a day camp, all by himself, for the first time this summer.  He is finding his own confidence to do new things.  My oldest son has lost 30 pounds through diet and exercise alone, through dedication and without weight loss drugs.  He did it the old fashion way to improve his health.  His wife, a real estate agent, is on track to meet her personal goal for number of houses sold this year.  With purely hard work and resolve, she is reaching new heights.  Another of my daughters-in-law has begun memorizing the book of Romans.  I nearly fell off my chair when I heard her recite the first 3 chapters by memory without missing a word!  My third daughter-in-law and son have done a fair amount of travel over the past few years.  I recently picked them up at the airport after their flight only to find out they had learned to speak words in both Albanian and Montenegrin as preparation for their trip.  They could communicate with the locals.  I was astounded. My middle son has learned a new job task essential to his corporation employer.   He has been training and studying for the past few months. Currently, only he and the person going on maternity leave know how to accomplish this duty.  It sounds like job security to me.   My best friend has been battling breast cancer now for almost 9 years.  The stamina and mindset that it takes to continue to fight is admirable.  People all around me in my life continue to amaze me with the absolute courage and determination that they possess.  I am proud of all of them.  To each of them I say well done.

Tammy Harvey

7/6/2026

Walking on Sunshine with YOU

 

Walking on Sunshine with You

You’re walking on sunshine,

You’re already on cloud nine,

The sky is a true blue,

The clouds have a warm hue,

The atmosphere is cheerful,

But I’m feeling tearful,

I want to hold your hand,

And walk through the heavenly land,

How are you so far away, yet always near?

Memories will fade, I fear,

You’re walking on sunshine,

I know you are doing really fine,

I hope to join you there,

A place with no worries to bear,

I want to walk on sunshine with you,

It must be an incredible view,

Save me a place where time stands still,

Then we will walk on sunshine together, we will.

Tammy Harvey

7/2/2026

Typing Evolution

 

Typing Evolution

I own a 1950’s typewriter inherited from my parent,

It has stiff keys, an ink ribbon with a manual bar to advance it,

A Smith-Corona, heavy as lead, it was considered very fine,

But in the 1980’s, an electric typewriter was all mine,

I used it to type cover-letters, searching for employment,

The process was cumbersome and I did not enjoy it,

Although it was a lot faster, white correcting tape was essential,

Stop, correct, continue on; the process had potential,

But little did we know what advances would arrive,

Sometimes I even wonder now, how did we survive?

From typewriters to keyboards, the leap was exponential!

Laptops that go anywhere; it was quite consequential,

Typing classes became keyboarding, taught in all our schools,

New keys like Alt, Ctrl and Esc were not made for fools,

Correction on a screen is simple: backspace and delete,

Auto-correction and voice recognition made it more complete,

I can’t imagine typing on an old manual machine,

It was so rudimentary and now it is extreme!

Kids today would not believe the effort that it took,

Just to type a simple letter, an envelope, or a book!

Tammy Harvey

6/22/2026

Ring the Bell

 

Ring the Bell

When a patient finishes a round of radiation treatment, there is a tradition that is carried out.  The patient is allowed to ring a large brass bell hanging on the wall in the waiting room.  They have passed by that bell many times on their way to the treatment room. It gives them something to look forward to.   It symbolizes the end of a journey.  I recently was privileged last week to watch my friend ring that glorious shiny bell, and it wasn’t her first rodeo.  The sound was deep and resounding.  It was sweet, yet bittersweet.  The fact that someone has to have radiation at all is not joyful, yet the end of the treatment itself is a joyous time.  With no certainty that the patient won’t have to return again for the same treatment in the future, it still is a mark of accomplishment.  It signifies another hurdle has been cleared in the race against the dreadful cancer cells.  My brother-in-law will also be ringing a similar bell in his place of treatment on Monday as he completes a series of 24 proton radiation treatments.

 Everyday many people are ringing a victory bell.  It is a victory, however, just to survive a stage 4 diagnosis with determination to endure the ever-present disease.  A disease that evades the researchers for cures and mutates into other monstrosities to avoid the current treatments.  The number of lives affected by cancer, whether patients, caregivers, friends and family members or children, is astounding.  I am constantly in awe of the warriors, alive and deceased, who never give/gave up. They tolerate the side effects of toxic drugs, surgeries and procedures, constant pain, radiation, chemotherapy, physical therapy, never-ending doctor appointments, a port, blood draws, numerous scans, and setbacks.  They deserve to ring a brass bell and a whole lot more!

Tammy Harvey

7/10/2026

Summer

 

Summer

As spring slowly surrendered to summer,

It carried with it a sense of slumber,

We counted down the days until school was out,

On the final day, we exited with a celebratory shout!

Sleeping late with no homework and swimming in the pool,

Riding bikes, skipping rocks and never lamenting school,

As children, we ran barefooted, footloose and fancy-free,

Drinking from the water hose and climbing in tall trees,

Going fishing, collecting rocks and creating paint-by-number,

Playing freeze tag, getting tan, nothing would encumber,

Outside, in the dark, we looked up at the stars,

Chasing fireflies tirelessly and putting them in our jars,

Looking for four-leafed clovers, lying face down in the grass,

We sat quietly among the moss and sticks and began to remember our class,

Then we longed to see our classmates as summer drew to a close,

Desires of our heart had changed, with the season, I suppose,

You can’t have your cake and eat it too, as “they” always say,

I never understood what that saying meant anyway!

Counting down the days until our new school year began,

Excited to see everyone together once again,

We returned to school in the fall without much hesitation,

Yet summer had provided a fun-filled time of recreation.

Tammy Harvey  4/27/2026

Little Things

 

Little Things

Did you ever stare into the clouds to see what shapes they made?

Or gather under an oak tree to cool off in the shade?

Did you run around barefooted until your feet were tough,

Or eat wild blackberries off the vine until you’ve had enough?

Did you spend hours on the grass looking for a four-leafed clover,

Or blow onto a dandelion to spread the seeds all over?

Did you find flat rocks on the bank to skip across the water?

Did you know that a single rock is special to an otter?

Have you ever heard complete silence, a very intriguing sound?

Or treasured a beautiful seashell that you looked for, and you found?

Have you stood beside the ocean and watched the sun come up?

Or welcomed a dog to lick your face when it is just a pup?

Have you watched the wind wave the flag high upon the pole?

Did you lose your voice screaming as your team scored the winning goal?

Have you watched a bird build a nest just outside your window?

Has your heart ever skipped a beat when the music hit a crescendo?

Did looking at old photographs ever make you sigh?

All these things are happiness and let me tell you why,

It’s the littlest things that matter in the bigger scheme of life,

They all add up to enormous satisfaction, despite the usual strife.

Tammy Harvey

6/15/2026

Siblings and Strawberries

 

Picking Strawberries

There is a story still told to us,

Of how my mother and her siblings got in a fuss,

While picking strawberries for a neighbor nearby,

Little Julia ultimately began to cry,

Because she had eaten too many and her belly hurt,

My Uncle Jim said, “Let’s all help her work”,

Little sister needs to finish her row,

He said, “Let’s all help her before we go”,

Aunt Dorothy reluctantly lent a hand,

Aunt Sylvia did not quite understand,

Why did they have to do their work and hers too?

But it was hot and they had more chores to do,

 For a penny a box they picked before school,

And they tried to practice “the golden rule”,

It was a mile to walk home after they were done,

Should we assume they were having fun?!

Tammy Harvey  4/30/2026