When my kids were little, they always wanted to talk to me while I was in the bathroom. In the shower or on the throne, it seemed their most pressing questions came when I was a bit indisposed.
These days, I’d live in the bathroom if it meant my kids would voluntarily come talk to me.
They are so busy (I hate ... Read More
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
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
I got back from LA late Saturday night. The whole family was wide awake and practicing their best (loudest and highest) opera voices.
The next morning I went out to collect a week’s worth of mail. No one thought to bring it in, or maybe they knew I would get a kick out of seeing how many things our mailman, Kevin, ... Read More
The awesome thing about living in a small town is that we get to see celebrities on a regular basis. We’ll be at the grocery store, standing in the cereal aisle when all of a sudden, BOOM!, Celebrity Sighting!
It’s just the coolest. My kids will back away shyly, barely able to make eye contact, waiting for the celebrity speak first.
They ... Read More
Will someone please remind me of this crazy-hot weather when the snow is swirling and it’s 30 degrees below zero this winter?
Living in the Dakotas creates a sort of seasonal amnesia. When it’s hot, we forget it’s going to get really cold — and when it’s cold, we forget it’s going to get really hot. At least I do.
I prefer ... Read More
Heather Brebaugh is a magnet for kindness. She sees it everywhere she goes, and where she doesn’t see it, she creates it.
She reminds me of something I’ve learned over the years about kindness: it changes our perspective. It helps us get our eyes off of ourselves and our own problems. It moves our brain to a place of compassion for ... Read More
Have you ever been encouraged by someone else’s story? I bet you have. It’s a special brand of kindness to share our vulnerabilities because it reminds others in their scariest moments that we’re not alone.
Fargo resident Pat Pobst recalls a time many years ago that she needed to draw on another family’s story.
“Back in the late 1980s, The Forum ran ... Read More
My friend, who is an elementary school teacher, had the most amazing experience the other day. She got to present a high school diploma to one of her former second graders!
As a little girl, the student wanted to be just like her teacher. Now a decade later, she’s on the path to making that happen.
My friend is kind and caring ... Read More
Every once in a while we get a wake-up call reminding us to pay attention. Sometimes it’s big, like five years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer. Sometimes it’s small, like the email I got from my friend, Galo, in California.
Galo sent me the link of a teacher reading a book to the graduating class ... Read More
