When I was a freshman in college, I had a stalker.
Several of my friends were at a fast food restaurant near the University of Wisconsin campus when they saw a man sitting at a table with huge photos of me spread out in front of him.
They were confused, but knew something was very wrong with that scenario.
I would have thought ... Read More
For most of my adulthood, I have mistakenly believed that kindness flows from the excess in my life.
I have extra money, I can throw a little in the jar.
I have extra time, I can offer to take a neighbor to the store.
I have extra energy, I can volunteer to read to my son’s class.
Scarcity is scary. Maybe that’s why the ... Read More
Whatever you look for is what you’ll see. Don’t believe me? Think about your ex: ex-husband, ex-boyfriend, ex-wife. Since I’m a woman and I’m the one writing this, let’s pick on the men for a moment. When you first met this man, the love of your life, he could do no wrong. You were drawn to each other, the chemistry ... Read More
Have you seen it? Have you seen the video from the marketing agency in Canada asking its citizens to tell America why it’s great? I thought it had to be a sham. My normally trusting nature became skeptical. Then I watched the video. I looked into the eyes of those Canadians, and I thought, “They like us! They really like ... Read More
I got my first cellphone on Christmas morning, 2003. I was eight months pregnant, and if my water broke in the middle of Piggly Wiggly, my husband wanted to know about it. I thought I could just go to the customer service desk and ask them to call him, but he wasn’t in favor of that plan.
I was certain this ... Read More
They say when it rains, it pours. That can be true in trials, but in my life, I’ve found that it’s also true in kindness.
In times of trouble, the smallest act of love is amplified. A note in the mail, a phone call or a text message can go far in lifting someone’s spirits. I still remember the gigantic card ... Read More
When I was a child, my biggest social challenge was learning to speak politely on the phone. I never had to deal with the permanency that seems to accompany every email, text message or Instagram photo sent through the World Wide Web.
It would be easier to completely unplug, but since my husband is not in favor of going off the ... Read More
As a basketball coach’s wife, there are certain away games that I’ve learned to watch on television. Sure, they’re within driving distance, but I learned long ago to listen when my husband says “You might not like this one.”
It’s not that our team is going to lose. Winning or losing has nothing to do with it. What keeps me at ... Read More
As I opened my email, I really thought the sender was about to share a story of cookie-making kindness. It was early in the morning, and my first pre-coffee thought was, “Oh, how sweet of them.”
Then I kept reading.
Then I read it again.
Then I wrote back and asked her to tell me more—more about her son, his work and his ... Read More
I’m a sucker for a romantic story. I’ll tell anyone who will listen that I fell in love with my husband when I was in sixth grade. True, he wouldn’t date me until I was 24, but that just adds to the charm. Ever seen “50 First Dates” or “Message in a Bottle”? How about “Sleepless in Seattle” or “You’ve ... Read More
