Positive from Negative
When I was in high school, I was confused to discover that so many great writers suffered from bad choices of one sort or another—alcohol, drugs, affairs, etc.. What was … Continue reading →
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Shoved into Another Culture
When we encounter people from a culture unlike our daily lives, we feel uncomfortable. We don’t fit in with them. We don’t know how to act and we blame our … Continue reading →
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“You’re Gonna Die, Just Like Everybody Else.” (MOONSTRUCK)
Did you ever have a science fiction movie moment—you know, a time when you were cruising through life, not paying much attention, and then POW! the givens were out? Not … Continue reading →
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Realizing Life
The best part about being sick is that day when you can finally breathe without coughing, eat without vomiting, and think without feeling like you have an ocean liner run … Continue reading →
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Connected by Phone: Auld Lang Syne
Holidays celebrate connection, friendship, and the beauty of community. When we receive notes or calls from true friends we haven’t seen in years, they feel suddenly closer. The years collapse. … Continue reading →
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Maybe We’re Better?
People wax nostalgic when they talk about “the old days” as they remember warm, family celebrations—if such was their good fortune. They rush around or spend hours online purchasing decorations … Continue reading →
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A No-Family, Not-Even-Christmas Dinner
How fondly I remember chaotic holidays in the past when we had to add a card table to our dining room table to have enough spaces for everyone. We had … Continue reading →
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Sing a Song of Joy into the World
This time of year, holiday shopping catalogues multiply like zucchini in summer. Of course you need this! Who wouldn’t love one of these? Meanwhile, TV ads coax us to indulge … Continue reading →
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Beneath the Surface
Long ago, in a world far, far away, I had the responsibility of explaining the gist of a court custody hearing to a child of about six in terms that … Continue reading →
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Whatever the Hell You Want
In the midst of entertaining guests and cooking turkey and shopping the Black Friday deals, those who celebrate Thanksgiving try to remember what it was they were thankful for in … Continue reading →