Words make a difference. They influence our thoughts, which in turn become our actions. I’ve collected quotes for many years. It’s interesting to look back over those years and re-read quotes that were meaningful to me. Sometimes, I wince; other times, I asterisk them. I decided to extend that tradition to this blog. Each December, …
Once In a Lifetime
Coming up with topics for weekly posts can be challenging. (This is number 261) I try to stay a few weeks ahead to allow ideas to ripen. Nevertheless, every once in a while, I find myself behind the eight ball. Like now. So, rather than serving up green bananas, I’ll offer a poem. Next week, …
Special Thanksgiving Edition
I am moving this week’s post up a few days to commemorate a family tradition. I will return to my regular Sunday schedule on November 30. Happy Thanksgiving! ———————————————————— Grandma’s Yeast Rolls Do you have a Thanksgiving family tradition? I hope so, because that’s what makes the Holiday special. Once again, this year, my sister …
The Hubris of Modern Times
Evolution is a journey. We are the tip of the spear. Greater knowledge and intelligence have never existed! History, however, suggests our superiority will be short-lived. Taken-for-granted elements of modern life will be proven primitive and misinformed a century from now. How can I say that? Well, because it’s always been true. Ian Mortimer’s book, …
Going Through the Motions
What percent of your day is spent going through the motions? In my late teens, twenties, and thirties, it was almost none; everything was new. Each semester brought a new set of classes. After graduation, I changed jobs every three years. It seemed like just about the time that routine set in, a major change …
My Condolences
My thoughts and prayers are with you. Really? We mean well, but those words resonate with the timbre of wet dough dropped onto a countertop. Seriously, is there a more banal cliché? But what’s the alternative— buying an equally clichéd Hallmark card to affix our name to? I’ve always found condolences awkward. I mean, what …
The Gift of Sadness
Sadness walks hand in hand with loss, springing from something we’ve had, but no longer have, including our dreams. We don’t ever get over irreparable loss; instead, it becomes part of who we are. Have you ever tried to scrape peanut butter off a slice of bread? Letting go of sadness is similar. Everyone experiences …
The Whole of It
My mother used to watch a soap opera titled Days of Our Lives. A narrator introduced each episode with the line: “Like sands through an hourglass, so are the days of our lives.” I can still hear the theme song playing in my ear. That was nearly sixty years ago. Lately, I’ve been thinking about …
On Turning Five
Our eldest Granddaughter recently turned five. I only mention that because I vividly remember turning five, but not much before then. On my fifth birthday, my parents gave me a record player. It was robin’s egg blue, with a white hinged top closed with latches. The record player featured four playing speeds: 16, 33, 45, …
Integrity
Integrity was drilled into me as a child. My father was a serious man; universally respected, but not exactly the kind of guy you would throw back a few beers with. There was a distinct separation between parents and buddies in those days. Parents were respected, and perhaps even feared, in a healthy way. When …
Towards A Life Well-Lived 