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Over the weekend, I presided at my father’s funeral. My father’s name was Tom, and he was a unique character. He never met a stranger. He would talk to anyone anywhere any time about anything. One of the most embarrassing moments of my childhood was…
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As a child, one of my absolute favorite books was “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” As you might guess from the title, the book details a (very bad) day in the life of a red-haired, teen-aged boy named Alexander. From the…
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In the past few weeks, we’ve seen images of women in wheelchairs as their Houston area nursing home flooded. We’ve watched video of the streets of downtown Miami full of water flowing like rivers. We’ve looked at pictures of the British Virgin Island…
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I know many people who take comfort in a just world. “People get what they deserve,” these ones say. Most of us develop and refine our ethic of fairness as children. It’s in childhood that we experience that vicious argument in the back seat of the f…
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The news this week has been dominated by images of individuals and families who, in the most literal way we can imagine, can’t survive on their own. The photographs and videos coming to us from southeast Texas are heartbreaking: nursing home resident…
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It’s been the topic of conversation for weeks now. People planned parties or traveled hours to find themselves in just the right spot. Specially designed sunglasses were sold out everywhere. The total solar eclipse that took place on Monday afternoon…
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Like many parents, I’m selective about the images my children see. They’re little enough that in their limited screen time, the things they watch or see comes filtered through us. But this weekend, our five-year-old daughter overheard us talking abou…
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Some of the most beautiful transactions in the world occur without money ever changing hands. We all know this since we’re regular participants in such transactions. I find it inspiring to remember the particulars of different encounters, if for no o…
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Have you noticed the song of the cicadas lately? It’s pretty hard to miss. One of my friends in high school said she always thought it was a very melancholy sound, because it meant summer was almost over. Very recently, another friend echoed the same…
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For many people, this is the time of year for vacations, a week at camp, or a trip to visit family. I don’t know how you prepare for a trip or vacation, but my first action is always to make a list of everything I need to pack. It’s the only way I fe…
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I was stopped at the intersection of Kimberly and Eastern here in Davenport a few weeks ago, and saw the large sign for Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. I looked at the sign, with a whole lot of gratitude for this store that sells used or repurposed b…
“Walk the talk” has been a popular phrase for a long time. It’s one way we celebrate the importance of actions backing up words. Conventional walk-the-talk wisdom suggests that what we do with our lives matters more than what we say. Deeds trounce wo…