Back when my now-teenage daughter was 7 or 8, we got to experience the grand tradition of Girl Scout cookie sales.
I don’t know how it works these days, but back then we had to estimate how many cookies we could sell and then order them in advance. Jordan has always been a go-getter and this experience was no exception. She ... Read More
“It’s not a person, it’s just a dog.” I remember thinking those words when I had to put my beloved Robby Dog to sleep several years ago. It didn’t seem right to have such intense grief, and yet there it was.
Anyone who has lost a pet understands in an instant the immense loneliness that comes when you walk into the ... Read More
Last week, I shared part one of the story of a single mom struggling to make ends meet with her teenage son.
It’s the backdrop of pain in our lives that gives our joy such brilliance. And often, it’s receiving an act of kindness at just the right time that spurs us to do the same for ... Read More
Jessica Reed is the sort of woman who inspires me to become a better person. She’s a dietician, a mom of five kids, a community advocate and a marathon runner.
She’s also the sort of woman who will stand in my kitchen and teach me how to evenly brown ground beef without giggling at my ineptitude.
Jessica took on a major challenge ... Read More
It’s our stories that build the color into our lives. Yes, there is often pain as they are being written, but without that pain we wouldn’t know real joy.
I want to spend this week and next sharing the story of a mom and her teenage son, and the beauty that unfolded when one act of kindness led to the next.
“My ... Read More
Are you done? Have you finished all the hustle and bustle that comes with creating the magic of the season? If so, good for you! (Now can you come to my house and help me?)
If not, take heart. Ironically, it’s in the midst of our craziest schedules that we are most blessed with the chance to show other people they ... Read More
My friend, Tania, has been going through a whirlwind year of transition. One year ago, she sold her dream house, the one she had designed, built and lovingly decorated eight years prior.
She and her husband felt a call on their lives to downsize. Even with two kids still in the house, they knew it was time to let go ... Read More
I never knew the radical effect kindness could have on a life until it had an effect on my life. Isn’t that the way it always goes? We can hear about something again and again, but until it becomes real for us, it’s simply not real.
I went from seeing the world through mostly grey colored glasses to suddenly finding a ... Read More
Does what I do matter?
Have you ever thought that to yourself?
Perhaps you’ve been in the checkout lane when the cashier asks if you’d like to donate a dollar to end world hunger. Or maybe you’ve dropped off old towels and blankets so they could be sent to some area of devastation overseas. Most recently, I was asked to donate bottles ... Read More
In my family, instead of Thanksgiving turkey, we pull out of the all-holiday ham. We will continue pulling it out for leftovers for the next week, starting today: RAK Friday.
Oh, I’m sorry. Did you think it was called Black Friday? Nah, that’s so 1990s. You know, when people loved standing in line overnight to get the new superfly boombox ... Read More
