6 days agoMember-onlyThe big things are what matter this holiday seasonA friend commented that the turkeys at the grocery store seemed smaller than last year. I told him that was impossible. An 18-pound turkey is an 18-pound turkey. Maybe the price tag was larger. I think everything seems smaller than we remember when we were younger. Christmas trees and presents…Thanksgiving3 min readThanksgiving3 min read
Nov 20Member-onlyThanksgiving reminds us of the importance of placeDuring this time of the year, I think of the people I would like to sit with at the Thanksgiving dinner table. The people that are now gone but still have a place. More than anything we want in life is to have a place. Each year, one of the…Thanksgiving3 min readThanksgiving3 min read
Oct 31Member-onlyA place where food places open and close everydayIn the city of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, there is a food establishment that opens and closes every day. Not just opens and closes for the day, but opens for its first day of business, and closes for its last day. It’s hard to keep up with how many restaurants…Food3 min readFood3 min read
Oct 23Member-onlyA place with a name worth visitingI’m lucky to have friends who bring me small souvenirs from their trips to faraway places. On the side of my metal office shelf cling several magnets that tell stories of adventures throughout the world. I need more adventures throughout the world. I think we all do. Adventures to places…Interesting3 min readInteresting3 min read
Oct 15Member-onlyChristmas nougats and other things worth the waitIt’s October, and I just ate a peppermint Christmas candy nougat. The kind that is roughly shaped like a rock but tastes chewy and soft. It’s white with red stripes and a green Christmas tree shape in the center. When you unwrap it, some stays on the wrapper, and each…Christmas3 min readChristmas3 min read
Oct 9Member-onlySimple, everyday conversations are still worth itMaybe I was born in the wrong generation, but I still like to talk to people. People I know and people I don’t know. Talk to someone when placing an order. Talk to someone when picking up my groceries. Talk to someone when paying for my morning coffee. …Conversations3 min readConversations3 min read
Oct 8Member-onlyA phone friend that knows everything you knowLast night I spoke to an old friend and former colleague. It was one of those conversations where I picked up the phone, she answered, and the very first statements went something like this: “I just read that Joe passed away.” “That’s too bad.” “Do you know how he passed?”…Friendship3 min readFriendship3 min read
Aug 25Member-onlyOld hymns are old, but still meant for todayI never thought I would like old hymns as much as I like them these days. When I say old hymns, I mean the kind of songs that people sing in church that sound like they’ve been around since before grandma and grandpa were around. When I started singing them…Church3 min readChurch3 min read
Aug 16Member-onlyLife changing moments can be different for all of usIn the blink of an eye, or the flash of a light, things change. You don’t realize it until later, much later. The full impact of a life changing moment takes time to cement itself. To let itself be known. That was probably true for a friend who went from…Maine3 min readMaine3 min read
Jul 31Member-onlyChoosing to surrender is choosing freedomI’ve been reading about surrendering lately. It’s something that’s hard to do. Thinking about it makes us feel like failures, like we are not in control. Maybe that’s the point. Americans aren’t supposed to surrender. Growing up, we read in our textbooks that we went to war. Many wars, and…Surrender3 min readSurrender3 min read
