My brother Jim’s mother died when he was a toddler. His life was topsy-turvy. Jim describes his teen years as stealing cigarettes from our parent’s room, sneaking off with his friends to drink alcohol, and getting into trouble with school. Jim joined the Air Force. At the risk that further misconduct involving illegal drugs would result in a bad conduct discharge, my father flew down to Texas, where Jim was stationed, and appealed to Jim’s…
1 CommentCategory: personal growth
I had only been out of the room for a few minutes taking care of something in another part of the house. When I walked back into our wood-paneled family room, there was a track meet going on. The event was hurdling, and the 3-month-old baby on his blanket was the hurdle! I watched dumbstruck as my 5, 4, and 3-year old each took off in a sprint from one corner, leaped over the baby,…
1 CommentI read constantly. Not everything I read sticks. Decades ago, I read these paradoxical commandments. They resonated so much that I made these designs to anchor them in my memory. As we all seek to recover from this past year, may these paradoxical commandments guide you in making meaning of crazy and confusing times. What’s your favorite commandment? More information about these paradoxical commandments written by Dr. Kent Keith can be found here.
1 CommentI found myself in an annoying state of hunger. I had a decent lunch, so I was confused by the stomach pangs. I stood in the kitchen, looking all around, asking myself, what do I want? I walked around the kitchen island like the cat poking at every cupboard door, looking for something to satisfy my appetite. I cooked some popcorn, but it was either too old, or I had cooked it too long. The…
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I live in the neighborhood I grew up in as a child. Many of my neighbors moved here when my parents lived in this house on Homewood Road. The Wards, the Kushners, the Hanlons, and the Kiorpes, knew my parents well. They knew me too. Several of these neighbors have gotten to see my children grow up also. It has been 20 years since we moved into the neighborhood. Recently on my walks around the…
7 CommentsLittle drops of water, Little grains of sand, Make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land. Thus the little minutes, Humble though they be, Make the mighty ages of eternity. Julia Fletcher The humble minutes have evaporated into the big 3-4 for Gary and my wedding anniversary this week! Our friend John told us that at the altar, there are two perspectives. The groom is hoping his bride stays just the way she is, and the bride is anticipating all…
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