The Invisible Force Field of My Magic Song
In the last couple of weeks, I began singing a refrain from a song I never really knew: “Ain’t nothin’ gonna break-a my stride/Nobody gonna slow me down/Oh no, oh … Continue reading
Expressions of Love
As an antidote to these depressing times, let me tell you a couple stories of love I encountered lately. First, as I define it, love is an action verb—much deeper … Continue reading
Protecting Private Lives Outside the Tabloids? A Political Question
The film THE FRONT RUNNER was based on the book ALL THE TRUTH IS OUT: THE WEEK POLITICS WENT TABLOID by Matt Bai. Long ago, in what feels like another … Continue reading
Too Darned Hot
The musical KISS ME KATE featured a song/dance number called, “Too Darned Hot,” that sizzled with energy. But actually being too darned hot isn’t fun. When I taught at a … Continue reading
Walking Through Fire to Goodness
Occasionally, you meet someone who feels special—more peaceful, more loving, more giving—wiser—than usual. Or you listen to a TV interview of such a person. Their goodness is almost palpable as … Continue reading
Not Like Me, I Presume
In a Jesuit school, my husband was taught “Assumptions make an ass out of u (you) and me.” History is rife with them—assuming the world is flat because you can’t … Continue reading
Celebrating the Liberators
As we see the cruel, dark side of people revealed, we also see their counterparts—those who shine with compassion and truth. How did these people who grew up in similar … Continue reading
Embracing the Complicated Mess of Individuality
“Who-o are you-oo?” puffs the caterpillar Absalem when confronted by Alice in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Many people spend their lives defining the answer, because we are not only … Continue reading
A Lamp in the Dark
When children’s books that were scary or painfully honest first appeared on the market, protective parents kept them away from their precious young ones. After all, they reasoned, we have … Continue reading
Snake Training!
“You need to train your dog to be afraid of rattlesnakes,” we were told. “Dogs are naturally curious, and unless a dog understands a rattlesnake is dangerous, he may approach … Continue reading
