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This year’s Novena for Peace is a little later than last year because I had the privilege of being with my parents for most of the month of December to assist with my mom’s recuperation. She’d taken a nasty fall this past autumn and my sisters and I took turns going to Florida to help … Read more
January is the month of birthday gifts for me even though my birthday is in June. Keene is my first gift and Cheri is my second. Before my middle child was born on January 22 three plus decades ago, I worried (of course I did; it’s a habit). Could I love her as much as … Read more
Today is my sweetie’s birthday. On this day over 40 years ago I made him a birthday cake and invited him over to my house to surprise him with it. It was a very bold move on my part but his birthday fell on a Friday that year so I was hoping he’d say yes. … Read more
As December winds down, it’s time to reflect on where I’ve been and where I’m going. So what lessons learned in 2013 might guide me into 2014? The biggest one this year is that life itself is a miracle to be embraced every day with gratitude and love. It’s a lesson life has taught me before, … Read more
The Servant’s Way Isn’t Easy The servant’s way is a challenging paradox; if it were easy, everyone would be following it. St. Francis understood the paradox of the servant’s way. Jesus mastered it. And teachers and prophets from many traditions teach the same paradox contained in the final words of the Prayer of St. Francis: For … Read more
Where there is hatred, let me sow love Hatred is such a strong word. We can easily identify hatred out there but rarely do we sense it in here, in our own hearts. Yet hatred doesn’t spring forth whole in its easily identifiable ugly ways. It begins as small frustrations, angers, and resentments that are held, … Read more
The yearly feeding frenzy of holiday shoppers has begun. While post-Thanksgiving shoppers ventured forth with tasers in hand and hearts full of greed and aggression, my mood turned pensive. Is this really what life is all about? What compels someone to leave their table of blessing to find (and sometimes fight with others to get) more … Read more
Living to 100 is only great if you’re healthy enough to enjoy it. While good genes and a healthy diet help, they’re not the best indicator of who will live well into old age. How we age depends less on our genetics and more on our cultural expectations, according to Mario Martinez, PhD, the creator … Read more
There’s nothing as wonderful as a dinner shared with people you love and a menu of fresh-caught tuna and yellowtail broiled with herbs, spices, olive oil and butter. That is, until dinner turns toxic. Five of us shared this yummy dinner and all five of us suffered the symptoms of scombroid poisoning. If it sounds … Read more
When I was small, I was a part of a boisterous extended family in which shouting was the norm. Being an introvert by nature (and a person with acute hearing), the noise at family gatherings was a challenge for me to manage. I was even more challenged when anger crept into the shouting. When the … Read more