top of page
Search
In Praise of Practice - Celebrating the Little Things
This past week, we kicked off the first days of summer camp—and with it, a fresh wave of joy and energy. Despite the extreme heat early...
jsusee
Jun 303 min read
Â
Â
Â


Consistency more than Intensity
"Love is more about consistency than intensity." I heard that from a commencement speaker at my niece's graduation last week. She had...
rwerkman
Jun 22 min read
Â
Â
Â


One "Trick" to Taking Care of Others
The world is tough right now. [Am I allowed to say that could be considered a downer here?] There is so much uncertainty swirling...
rwerkman
Apr 303 min read
Â
Â
Â


Children are the future... Cliché and True
It's not just my role at a YMCA that focuses me on youth. Since way before Lionel Richie brought so many rock stars together for "We are...
rwerkman
Mar 283 min read
Â
Â
Â


What's in It for Us? All of us?
I think of the Waldo County YMCA as a public resource. That was reinforced two summers ago. The family was visiting from Texas was...
rwerkman
Mar 12 min read
Â
Â
Â


Sustaining Through February (Brrr!)
It’s February. Goals are at the top of my mind! I love all the new faces I see at the WCY, pursuing their own health goals. (I loved...
rwerkman
Jan 303 min read
Â
Â
Â


Don't Stop Five Minutes Before the Miracle
I am excited that Christmas and the start of Channukah coincided this year. Someone told me that only occurs every 18 years. That means...
rwerkman
Dec 26, 20244 min read
Â
Â
Â


Shining Brightly - a personal reflection
"There is a light that shines beyond all things on Earth, Beyond us all, Beyond the heavens, Beyond the highest, the very highest...
rwerkman
Dec 3, 20241 min read
Â
Â
Â
Lessons from our In-Service Day: It all matters
On November 11, Veteran's Day, we closed the WCY and brought in the full staff, full and part time, for an in-service day. During that...
rwerkman
Dec 2, 20242 min read
Â
Â
Â


Giving and Accepting
Over the course of a month, so much happens at the WCY, so many snippets and vignettes call out to be written about. And I get caught up...
rwerkman
Nov 1, 20244 min read
Â
Â
Â


Attention is Love
I am thinking a lot about my wife, Sarah, because a year ago, my colleagues at the WCY, the Board, and you gave me the gift of spending...
rwerkman
Sep 30, 20243 min read
Â
Â
Â


"Obedience to the Unenforceable"
Lots going on in my mind this week. I’ll try to weave it into a coherent narrative. The headline is, however, that I am ever grateful...
rwerkman
Jul 29, 20246 min read
Â
Â
Â


Sailors on a Summer Night
We have two Atlantic Challenge 2024 teams staying at the WCY this week as they prepare for the contest next week. I will write more...
rwerkman
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Â
Â
Â


Me and Patience: We are on Speaking Terms
Last Monday, I arrived early in the morning to welcome the first summer campers back to the WCY. Faith Boynton, our Youth Development...
rwerkman
Jul 1, 20243 min read
Â
Â
Â


A Five Year Vision
May 31, 2024 Dear Friends, As we reach the halfway point in of the year (Can’t believe it! Seems like this year is flying by!) and as we...
jsusee
May 31, 20243 min read
Â
Â
Â


The World is in Our Hands
"Our lives make a difference in what the world becomes. We either help build this world up in Love or tear it apart. Either way, we...
rwerkman
Apr 30, 20242 min read
Â
Â
Â


Starting to Renew the WCY
Dear Friends, Happy Spring! Spring symbolizes renewal for me. And that has been on my mind for months. In my time here, I’ve seen  our...
rwerkman
Apr 1, 20242 min read
Â
Â
Â
On Social Connection: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb...
Dear Friends, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Or so I've heard. I've also heard people say that our three best...
rwerkman
Feb 29, 20242 min read
Â
Â
Â
What do you do when you make a mistake? or What's with the extra 'r' in February?
February has always struck me as an unwanted month, like the box of stuff at the back of the closet that you only keep so that you have a...
rwerkman
Jan 31, 20243 min read
Â
Â
Â
A Wordy Welcome to 2024!
Dear Friends, I spend the last few days of each year and the first few days reviewing what happened and thinking about what I want to...
rwerkman
Jan 2, 20244 min read
Â
Â
Â
bottom of page