Some days a girl just doesn’t want to get out of bed. That was me Thursday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday. Luckily it’s Monday and the world seems a bit more bearable.
I am a big believer in doing acts of kindness to get myself out of a funk, so I dug deep in my grey wallet and my ... Read More
I feel sorry for people who live in warm climates. They never get to experience the incredible kindness that comes in the middle of a massive snowstorm.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, my family drove from Aberdeen, S.D., to Moorhead, MN., for my husband’s basketball game. A friend let us stay at her house while she was gone for the weekend. Our little ... Read More
TRAM (The Ride Across Minnesota) is a five-day bicycle ride that raises money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. While I love the idea of being active for a great cause, biking isn’t my thing.
But it is Harvey Laabs’ thing. He’s from West Fargo, and has been crossing the North Dakota/Minnesota border for TRAM since 1991. Here’s his story.
“It was ... Read More
I was lying next to my teenage daughter last night talking about life. We chatted about moving and finding new friend groups and how some high schoolers are really kind— and how others are not.
“Someday their mirrors will become windows, Mom.” she finally said. Her comment floored me. She wrapped up everything I try to teach about kindness in ... Read More
Have I ever mentioned I have the happiest email inbox of anyone in the world?
Seriously. Who else gets messages each day telling them about all the good things going on in our communities?
I love writing this column so much I would do it for free (but don’t tell my boss that)! I recently got an email from Becky Salberg, of ... Read More
I wonder how many opportunities for kindness we miss simply because we think, “It’s none of my business.”
I have driven past people without coats on a cold winter day and averted my eyes when someone was stuck on the side of the road. Have you?
Certainly, no one can do everything, but as the wife who sent in this letter explains, ... Read More
There is a packet of hot chocolate sitting on my desk. I don’t care how cold the wind blows in South Dakota, I am determined not to drink it.
It’s not a weight loss or healthy eating thing. It’s a kindness thing.
I took my boys to Minneapolis for a weekend at the Mall of America to celebrate, well, nothing. We just ... Read More
I am a rule follower. It makes me very nervous when someone uses a discount card that doesn’t belong to them or parks in an area that is designated for a specific business.
I do like to speed, but that’s another story.
My friend, Amanda, is also a rule follower. We both know that sometimes we need to bend a bit more ... Read More
I got to speak for the first time in Aberdeen last Friday. The place was packed with new friends, and as I stood there, I felt grateful.
At the end of my talk, I asked if anyone wanted to share their own story of kindness. A woman named Liz raised her hand. (For the record, I think her name was ... Read More
Bravery is such a slippery concept. Sometimes we think we have tons of it, and then we face a chance to flex and instead we back down.
Other times we are sure we can’t possibly be brave enough to face a situation until we have to actually walk through it. And then we do.
I saw my kids exhibit such immense bravery ... Read More
