Red and blue lights whirled in my rearview mirror. Uh oh. Someone was in big trouble. I turned the corner and drove another block before the police car came up behind me. I pulled over to allow the officer room to pass. After all, I am a law-abiding citizen.
Imagine my surprise when the officer pulled over right behind me.
Imagine ... Read More
I was trying to fly home from New York earlier this month. I say “trying” because it was evident that it was going to take some effort.
A big storm had swept through the day before and grounded most of the planes flying out of JFK airport. So there I was at Gate C4, just me, my 12-year-old daughter and a ... Read More“This needs sugar!” a woman barks from the table behind me. A nurse gently tells for the 10th time, “I already put sugar on it for you, Alice.” “Well it doesn’t taste like it!” her surly charge growls.
“Help! Help! Help!” the woman two tables away shrieks. The first time I heard it, I was shocked when no one jumped up ... Read More
I woke up this morning in Charlotte, North Carolina. I guess that’s a good thing since that’s where I went to bed last night.
It’s a little confusing trying to keep up with myself this summer. During the month of July, I’ve been in New York, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. I have spent six nights in my own bed in Ohio. ... Read More
It’s heavy, isn’t it? All this stuff happening in our world? It makes me feel sad and angry and fearful and all of those other emotions that erupt simultaneously when senseless acts of violence occur. But it also makes me feel helpless, and that might be the worse feeling of all.
Three years ago, I wrote an article for my Kindness ... Read More
When the world is closing in on you, and panic and uncertainty threaten to swallow you whole, kindness takes on a new level of importance. An otherwise small gesture of love becomes magnified and gives us the strength to put one foot in front of the other.
Zach Wilson sent me this letter from a friend who found kindness at the ... Read More
The bad thing about striving to live a life of kindness is that you realize when you fail. And you fail every day. Or maybe I should say, I fail every day.
The minute I keep the conversation trivial to avoid entering someone’s pain, the minute I cut the conversation short with an impatient answer, the minute I lower my eyes ... Read More
I remember having two birthday parties as a kid. My family lived on a little farmette with horses, and my dad had a friend who was a clown (doesn’t everyone’s dad have a friend who is a clown?), so when I turned 6 years old, every kid in town came to my house to celebrate. There were yard games and ... Read More
If you drive by my home and there’s toilet paper hanging out the window, don’t be alarmed. The Phillips’ household is officially a bachelor pad.
My daughter and I are on our way to New York City to speak at the Susan G. Komen Partner Summit. Apparently, big companies like to know where their charitable donations are going, so once a ... Read More
Life can change in an instant. One moment you’re young and in love and planning a wedding, and the next, you’re sitting in a hospital room trying to decipher medical jargon and test results.
That’s how it went for Aly Cola. In a matter of days, her life was turned upside down. Thanks to a great act of kindness, it has ... Read More
