My mother-in-law has a gift. She can talk to anyone. I once went to an estate sale with my mother-in-law and one of my sisters-in-law. We had just stepped inside the front door when my mother-in-law paused and smiled at another woman also walking in the door. That woman smiled back, and the two began…
I feel sad, and I don’t want to feel sad. My husband and I have begun a conversation about moving from the neighborhood and the town where we have spent decades. Rather than feeling sad, I want to focus my emotional energy on the joys of new opportunities and new adventures. I don’t enjoy the…
Dear Friends— I’m sending this email to you to ask you to pray for our family. We have recently discovered that my mom has Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. At the moment she is in New York with my younger brother. On Tuesday I will join them in New York. Then on Saturday I will take my mom…
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” Mary Schmich, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune (June 1, 1997) wrote that advice to newly graduated students. Even though I graduated decades ago, something about that quotation stuck in my heart. I ruminated on it for days. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Interesting…
In early November 2005 my mom began a journey that changed us both. She got into her little car and began to drive to Denver International Airport, 60 miles from her home, a route she had driven thousands of times during her 69 years. But this time she faced a particular challenge. She told me after…
Think about your good friends. How many conversations have you had over the last year? How many events have you attended together? In each conversation or at each event, you learned a bit more about your friend, right? Prayer, at its core, is a relationship-building tool—a way to build and sustain a friendship with God….
Avoid. Bypass. Duck. Evade. Dance around. Sidestep. We’ve all done it. Avoiding eye contact in the church lobby with a woman you enjoyed working with on a committee at church until you had THAT discussion. Crossing the street when you see a neighbor who just lost his wife in a car accident. Letting your phone…