Tag: kindness

Several months ago, when we left North Dakota for Ohio, we moved into a lovely home tucked into a quiet, wooded neighborhood in the city of Athens.

Just before you turn to go up the hill into our subdivision, you pass a little log cabin. On first glance, it’s beautiful. Very shabby-chic. On second glance, it’s a whole lot more shabby ... Read More


I never wanted to get married. I didn’t believe in the institution of marriage. I honestly thought it was impossible for a man and a woman to remain faithful to each other for a lifetime.

I dated. I eventually wanted children. I hadn’t worked out all the details, but I was certain marriage would not be part of the equation.

I’m not ... Read More


I remember the first time I saw a $2 bill. I was about 5 or 6 years old, and I thought someone was playing a joke on me.

It looked real, but that 2 in the corner, where the 1 or the 5 or the 10 should have been just seemed so odd.I’ve run into a few other $2 bills in ... Read More

Have you ever driven by a sign outside of a business again and again, always wondering what it meant but never taking the time to find out?

My interest-piquing sign is at the corner of Main Avenue and Fourth Street in downtown Fargo. By my math, I’ve driven by that Cenex station more than 2,600 times (You don’t even want to ... Read More

I recently talked to the father of a Minnesota boy who could very well capture the attention of the nation and change the way the medical world uses marijuana.

Brett Solum is a 13-year-old boy who, in many ways, is like a lot of other teenagers. He goes to Moorhead Middle School where he’ll soon be starting seventh grade. He likes ... Read More


Nothing scares me more than the thought of losing a child. And yet, tragically, it happens.

I have never been able to grasp how parents get through an experience like that. And yet, miraculously, they do.

Jeanette Maré lost her son, Ben, when he was just 3 years old. His airways constricted, and he was gone in moments.

“The depth of pain we ... Read More


I’m way out of season here, but do you remember that movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life?” My husband and I watch it every Christmas snuggled up on the couch. I start getting misty-eyed right about the time Clarence, the guardian angel, jumps into the river, forcing George Bailey to save him. When the town comes through for George at the ... Read More


If you haven’t pulled every red, white and blue decoration out of storage by now, you’re late. If that’s you, grab something colorful from your closet and then come back and finish reading this column.

The colors have been unfurled for a weekend of family, food and fireworks. While festive, I appreciate that combination of colors for the switch it turns ... Read More


The late, great Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi had a thing with time. His players knew there was “normal time” and there was “Lombardi time.” If you played for Vince Lombardi, you were 15 minutes early, or you were late. I used to operate on Lombardi time. I loved being early. I appreciated a few extra minutes to get ... Read More


My husband got pulled over for speeding the other day. Mr. Leadfoot has been teasing me for years about what a bad driver I am, so as you can imagine, I was delighted to be in the car witnessing the whole thing.

I’m also pleased to have the opportunity to write about this event in the paper and perhaps publicly embarrass ... Read More