Winter provides unique weather for kindness — and surprise Dairy Queen cakes

Are you sick of winter yet? I know. Stupid question. I’m in Ohio, so we’re seeing promises that spring will indeed arrive, but I remember all too well the 10 winters we lived in Fargo. Even if there are signs of new life, another cold spell comes blasting in and March feels like the dead

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Treasures in the darkness

I woke up this morning and knew I couldn’t write. As a general rule, I don’t like to write for public consumption (for other people to read) until I have processed my thoughts and feelings about an event. Sometimes writing helps me think things through, but in general, I have to come to a conclusion

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Fargo family goes above the norm to extend kindness

My kids had a few special baby sitters when they were little, and Desire’e Larson was one of them. We’ve moved away and the kids have gotten older, so it’s been awhile since we’ve been in touch. I got a message from Desire’e recently and I wasn’t surprised to find that the Larson family is

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The Simple Question that Saved My Faith

Before my dad had a stroke, he loved verbally jousting. Politics and policies and people, my dad had an opinion and he enjoyed hearing what other people thought about those subjects too. It was like his own version of sudoko, it kept him mentally sharp. One day, shortly after I had rediscovered a relationship with

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True kindness allows for unlikely friendship

Would you rather have 100 casual acquaintances or one special friend? It’s a no-brainer, right? We all long to have someone special in our lives. But that can be tricky when the world only sees your disabilities. Ciera Ball is mostly nonverbal, was diagnosed with autism and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). That can

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What we can learn from Dumb and Dumber

While the rest of the United States of America was watching the Red Carpet festivities for the Oscars, my family was watching Dumb and Dumber. No apologies. There is nothing better than sitting around and giggling about toilet jokes with your 45 year old husband and 8 year old son. Even my two teenagers thought

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Will your kindness be remembered in 2059?

I often say I have the happiest email inbox in the world. Every once in a while, I’ll also get a handwritten letter in my real mailbox explaining how someone is adding light to the world through kindness. I’ve received the sweetest stories of kindness. Despite what you might see on the television, there is

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