Robert Fulghum once asked a Greek philosopher named Dr. Papaderos, "What is the meaning of life?" as they concluded a class taught by the professor.Papaderos could see that Fulghum was serious. He took a small mirror out of his wallet,…
TUESDAY MARCH 24 -- An elderly carpenter is eager to retire. He tells his employer (a very well-respected contractor) of his plans to leave the house-building business. He wishes to live a more leisurely life with his wife and extended…
I know I’m not the only one who feels overwhelmed. Or discombobulated. And yes, a bit alarmed. But this I am learning: when life gets precarious (hard-hitting), it is easy to forget (overlook) that inside every one of us—in our…
TUESDAY MARCH 17 -- Somewhere along the way, something gums up the system. In everyone’s life, during the low points, our inner fire goes out. In my case, more than once.And you still want me to treasure the sacrament of…
In a world were life feels dismaying, and yes, unnerving, emotional armor is tempting, even consoling. I can tell you that my heart gives way to tears, anger, exasperation. And too often, I do not have the words.It is no…
TUESDAY MARCH 10 -- My friend Tim Hansel wrote a book on parenting. He asked his young sons, "Boys, how do you know Dad loves you?"He figured that they would say, "Daaaad, remember when you took us to Disney world,…
“I think my nervous system is starting to fray,” a reader wrote. “Is that weird?”“No,” I replied. “I can tell you that you are not alone.”In today’s paper, conflicts, bombings, and war dominate the headlines. Yes, our world feels fragile.…
TUESDAY MARCH 3 -- I read an NPR story about how Stephanie Disney (audiologist at the Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs) met her (then 2-and-a-half-year-old) daughter, Rudy.Disney recalls, "my heart recognized her immediately."In the story, Disney says,…
My heart hurts. And feels very soft. Maybe you can relate?It is as if the nervous system of our country continues to fray.And this I do know: We live in a world where we are primed to see a soft…
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24 -- It does my heart good when people stand up and say, “We get to say how the story ends.”Which means that even in the darkness, we can be a place of light.Let us never forget that…