It is well with my soul
My mother died early yesterday morning. She was 96. For several years, she had lived in a care facility near my older sister. Mother was a teacher. Though she suffered from dementia, Mother greeted everyone and always said thank you whenever someone did...
I wish I’d been kinder
“A service van’s coming up the driveway,” Keith called from the loft. “He’s spinning his wheels, spitting gravel, really tearing it up. Now he’s sideways and trying to back down. I’ve never seen such bad driving.” I sighed. “I’ll go see if I can help.” In the...
From Santa-god to God
“Is there a Santa?” my 6-year-old son asked. It was 1989. “Yes,” I said cautiously. “There is a Santa, and he’s Mommy and Daddy.” Concerned that my son might feel let down, I added, “There’s magic in the world, too. It’s called science.” A few years later, after my...
Reverse and shift into neutral
At the bottom of the mountain, I flipped the truck gear switch to the right—from 2WD to 4WD—pulled the parking brake, and ran across the access road to pick up the mail. When I climbed back into the cab, I noticed two new warning lights on the dash: 4Low and VDC...
I’m a creature of habit
This morning, as usual, I consulted my checklist for the day. Faith, Self-Care, Family, Mission. It’s Martin Luther King Day. No mail, no problem. No walk to the mailbox, self-care problem. When was the last time I walked? I looked at my calendar. Ten days ago. How...
The Curious Why? Why?
When I was six-years-old, my parents gave me a copy of The Curious Little Owl by Frances Ruth Keller. The story went like this. Once upon a time there was a family of owls: Father Owl, Mother Owl, and Little Owl. Though Mother and Father modeled the correct “Who?...