Tag: giving

I celebrated my birthday at the beginning of May by asking people for ideas of little acts of kindness I could do on my big day.

It was fun hearing about all the ways people had celebrated their own birthdays in the past. My favorite ideas came from Pixie Neece, of Fargo, who gathered her friends and dedicated the entire day ... Read More


I know there are kind people all over the world, but there are certain things that come across my computer that leave me thinking, “That could only happen in North Dakota.”

Or maybe it’s a small-town thing. I don’t really know, but isn’t it nice to hear that goodness still exists in our communities and people will go out of their ... Read More


Did you know you can see the crime rate in your neighborhood?

If you go online to Trulia, a home buying website, you can click a little button that says “Crime.” The map is light blue in areas where there are few reported problems and dark blue where there are more crimes.

What if we could see the ... Read More


I am not a picture taker. That’s my mother-in-law. And my sister-in-law.

Going on vacation with them is an exercise in patience because we are constantly stopping to pose.

I was only annoyed until the first scrapbook arrived. Now, I have years of memories lovingly laid out in tidy books on my shelf.

Sarah loves to take pictures, and not just of her ... Read More


Shortly after we were married, my father gave Saul and me matching work boots.

I remember being perplexed at the time. We didn’t live on a farm and I wasn’t known for my manual labor skills. Sure enough, Dad was right.

In 2009, my husband and I donned our matching boots hour after hour as we became part of the Fargo workforce ... Read More


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 of winter.

People are crabby. Everyone is ... Read More


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 still spreading kindness. She sent me ... Read More


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 good in this world, no doubt ... Read More


I can’t remember the exact year, but I remember the date: Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve.

Saul and I were living in a little house in north Fargo and Jordan was a baby. It was teeth-chattering cold outside, because that’s what winter in North Dakota is like. On this particular night, we were all cozy in bed until about 2 o’clock ... Read More