What makes us who we are? The renowned physicist Brian Greene recently wrote a piece in the New York Times addressing why art matters. He concludes: “Whereas the patterns of math and science matter because they speak to qualities of reality that exist beyond us, the patterns of art matter because they speak to qualities …
Learning the Two-Step
When I was a youngster, one of the biggest thrills in life was getting a new pair of sneakers. In those days, Keds were what the cool kids wore. My parents watched their finances pretty closely, so I usually got a discount brand. Every once in a while, though, Mom came through. Such was the …
Can Opposites Attract?
Music is a big part of my life. I love the sound made by musical instruments, but it's the silence between notes that defines a song. A jazz trio with perfectly timed silence is a wondrous thing to experience. I am very fond of photography, as well. One needs light to make a picture. But …
A New Year’s Resolution
A New Year’s Resolution We have a cabin on a lake in NW Wisconsin. For the past twenty years, I’ve battled to keep the outside out. It seems mice find interior warmth alluring, and they are ingenious at having their way. Each year, I search out and seal ports of entry, but the mice always …
Spirit Running Wild
In grade school, at the beginning of each day, our teacher would take attendance. After we took our seats, she would open her attendance book and call out each student's name in alphabetical order. When we heard our name, we answered, "Here!" Since that time, I've discovered that loved ones don't have to be “Here" …
The Spirit of Christmas
Our family celebrates Christmas. For me, it is the time of year when spirit is strongest. I remember my mother, who instilled my love of music and the arts, gone now for eleven years. I think of my Father, my coach, and mentor, gone now for nearly ten years. I think of my Grandmother, who …
What If God Is A Verb?
The other day, a former colleague asked if I believe in God. A few years ago, I might have had a quick answer. But, the older I get, the more I'm discovering that I don't know as much as I once thought. As a consequence, I'm finding, questions often invite more questions. So, I asked …
Silent Fitness
I have reached an age where walking is a fitness exercise. It’s taking some getting used to! I used to be a runner. When my knees began complaining, I switched to biking. My bike has a fancy computer that tracks cadence, heart rate, average speed, and distance to assist in training. I’ve always found exercise …
This Person Is Now Called Adalyn
Recently, I was looking at family pictures using the Photos app on my MacBook. The app has a useful feature of finding photographs of individuals once they are tagged. Looking at a picture of our new granddaughter, Adalyn, I tagged her to quickly find her photos in the future. When I did this, the app …
The Search For Union
Social isolation has made this a challenging year. Connections are fundamental to our well-being. I have been writing about the importance of maintaining balance in life, suggesting that the development of spirit, along with mind and body, is critical to a life well-lived. Developing spirit is about growing our capacity to experience connectivity with life. …
Towards A Life Well-Lived 