Kindness is a virtue most of us appreciate and many of us aspire to. You may have heard about the practice of random acts of kindness. It supposedly began in 1982 when Anne Herbert scrawled the words "practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a...
Been thinking about the choices that fill our days. I’d love to say I’m intentional about every choice I make. But that wouldn’t be true. Often, the need for convenience or a sense of urgency cause me to make choices I later regret. Frequently my decisions are...
Today I contemplate my purpose. What defines me? In our culture, after we learn a new person’s name, the next question is almost always related to what they do. Other times we’re defined, not by what we do, but by what happens to us. Rape victim. Cancer survivor. I am...
Did you know there’s a National I Am in Control Day? Really. And it’s observed annually on March 30. When I first learned of this dedicated day, I laughed. After all, I’m a self-confessed recovering control freak. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that...
Here we go again. A scandal so big and far-reaching that the mighty will fall…again. Oh, wait. I said that already. Again. And again. And again. Last year, it was Ashley Madison, a scandal exposing people seeking immorality and adultery. This year, it’s the Panama...
Okay, come clean. I know I’m not the only one who has occasionally been annoyed by teens who trick-or-treat on Halloween. Even putting aside their age, all too often they either dress in the goriest costumes or they don’t bother with a costume at all. (I know –...
Thirty years ago, I stopped a pickpocket. It happened on Nassau Street in lower Manhattan as I watched a man match his stride with the woman in front of him. When he was close enough, he reached into her coat pocket from behind and lifted out her wallet. She was...
Wait. It’s a four-letter word in more ways than one. I hate waiting. Waiting in lines at the post office. Waiting for a green light at intersections. Waiting for answers to prayer. That last one is the worst. Waiting for answers to prayer. Especially when I know the...
What do comic book superheroes and villains, children on Halloween, and masquerade balls have in common? You probably guessed masks. Masks conjure up images of mysterious strangers. Or sinister villains. Or heroic crime fighters. Or maybe just playful children. We...
Quick – who was the winner of the: - 2010 Nobel Peace Prize? - 2009 Miss America pageant? - 2008 summer Olympics archery gold medal? Now identify: - the high school teacher who motivated you to be your best? - the Sunday school...
Looking Good . . . Not! What do window blinds and a cell phone have in common? I learned the answer to that...
Time to Shed My Snake Skin I found an unwelcome surprise outside my front door a few weeks ago: a...
I’ve had some unexpected—and unwanted—visitors this past week. The first occurred when I let the dogs out one evening...