Looking back, the white bread, imitation mayo, and thin-sliced deli meat held little nutritional value-but what Grandma Bonnie whipped up each time we stopped by for a visit was priceless. Her arthritic hands slapped together sandwiches better than anyone, and, while we ate, we also laughed as she told stories of the old days or […]

Gershwin got it right when he wrote the lyrics for his famous spiritual: “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” There really is something remarkable about this season, even for those of us that still have work to accomplish. Somehow life seems brighter thanks to longer days and the brilliant rays of our sun. Warmer waters […]

Years ago, my husband and I had a long list of names we’d compiled just before our first son was born. We wanted a strong name-something with meaning. Like so many parents before us, we hoped to provide our child with a title that not only fit him but also one he’d grow to live […]

The weather outside my window today looks nothing like spring, but that doesn’t deter an industrious bird from tucking twigs into a niche under the eaves. She flutters back and forth-tugging and twisting her building materials. As I curiously watch her efforts at nest construction, I am reminded of a poignant verse from the Proverbs: […]

There’s nothing like loss to make you reflect on what you actually once had. I suffered a personal one recently-the kind you only speak about with close friends and loved ones. Things can be replaced, but people cannot. The pain each of us suffers when we undergo this kind of loss is real, and it’s […]