There’s a pretty big celebrity living in my neighborhood. I hate to brag, but the president lives just a few doors down from me. If you weren’t aware, you might drive past his house without knowing it.
His name is Dawson, and he is president of the student body at Lincoln Elementary School in Aberdeen, S.D.
Back in October, Dawson ran for ... Read More
When I first started writing this “Kindness is Contagious” column nine years ago, I misunderstood what “weekly” meant.
The publisher said, “It’s a weekly column.” I heard, “Write it when you have something to write about.”
I asked readers to send in their stories of kindness, but I quickly learned to become an investigator of kindness in my own life so I ... Read More
I walked past the green and red shoeboxes and my heart caught just a little bit. I was in the middle of Hobby Lobby and my senses were overwhelmed with plaid pillows, glittery ornaments and ceramic Santas. But it was the tidy stack of boxes that held my attention.
Those boxes are a connection to the precious innocence of my now-teenage ... Read More
Want to know one of the coolest things about living in a small town? When you call the mayor’s office, you actually get to talk to the mayor!
The Mayor of Aberdeen owns a business in town, so in full disclosure, I actually found him there.
In a show of great kindness, Mayor Travis Shaunaman didn’t even laugh at me when ... Read More
Some grandmothers cross-stitch or quilt beautiful gifts for their grandchildren as lasting reminders of their love. Not Paula Larsen. The 75-year-old great-grandmother recorded a gospel album to give her family a special gift of love.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I popped in the CD. I certainly didn’t anticipate hearing the powerful, husky, beautiful voice that filled the air ... Read More
Being in South Dakota means I get to be surrounded by wide-open spaces. Most of those spaces are fields that grow the food my family and I so often take for granted.
But not today. Today I am grateful for the woman who sent in this story, who has spent countless hours working in the bubble of a combine harvester to ... Read More
I went to middle and high school with a girl who always seemed to bound with energy. She was nice to everyone, which meant she was friends with everyone.
Our paths have rarely crossed in the nearly 30 years since graduation. The last I heard, she was a police detective working in Milwaukee, Wis.
I got confirmation of that from another old ... Read More
I saw a really cute free-standing shelf and chair the other day that I knew would fit perfectly in my podcast studio. Unfortunately, they were not the perfect fit for my car.
I reclined seats and pushed aside bags, but could not get the pieces to even wedge through the door. That’s when I remembered my car is a convertible! That ... Read More
She’s known as the “Witch of Warroad.” Doesn’t sound like a compliment, does it?
It wouldn’t be, unless you’re Loralee Marvin, of Warroad, Minn., who looks forward to Halloween year-round. She says it’s the one time of year a person can dress up and act like a total goofball and no one seems to think anything less of them.
In her town, ... Read More
I have an amazing kindness team that includes three women who are way kinder than I am. I’m not being humble. It’s true.
They also have a way of noticing the kindness around them, which continues to inspire me to see it in my own life.
Sarah Tachon, who is my marketing guru, shared this refreshing story of kindness that I wanted ... Read More
