The other day when I was trying to help someone, I unintentionally caused problems for someone else. Communication is hard, isn’t it? Here’s what happened. My son’s kindergarten teacher was asking people to sign up to bring in plants for the class garden. Over several weeks, she hadn’t gotten much participation. I suspected it was … More Learning and Growing
Wynne reflects on the challenge of maintaining a decluttered home amidst family chaos. Inspired by insights from eco-crusader Michelle, she contemplates the nature of empty space and the tendency to fill it, linking this to creativity and writing as means to create order amid the perpetual struggle against clutter. … More Creativity and Clutter
I grew up with a mom who held being fair as a cornerstone of her parenting philosophy. The one time that I found out all my presents ahead of time was because my mom had a system. She would keep a list to the penny of what she’d spent on each person so that it … More Life: According to Fairness or Need?
Sometimes a little perspective is all we need to see the gifts…right before our eyes. Either a reframing of an experience we’ve lamented over, or the goodness that arrives when we see people sparkle, despite adversity. Our dear blogging friend, Beth, from “I didn’t have my glasses on” shares a sparkling story in our latest … More Podcast Friday! Episode 75: “Cast Aside” with Beth Kennedy
Let’s talk about the idea of light versus dark. There are a great number of social, cultural and religious ideals that offer a stark juxtaposition between light and dark. The viewpoint is often that darkness offers a state to be wary of, or has a capacity to undermine, or to the extreme, gives embodiment to … More Within Darkness There is Light
I can’t think of a more irritating thing to hear when you are crossing a patch of ice than, “Walk lightly!” But given the source, I took a deep breath and gave it a go. We were on Mt. Si, a popular training hike near North Bend, Washington and there were spots on the trail … More Walk Lightly
I’m not much of a football fan. I say that to preface any errors that I might include in my description of an incredibly human moment in a football game. This past weekend, my alma mater, the University of Washington (UW), played Washington State (WSU) in the Apple Cup, our in-state rivalry game. The tension … More A Concentrated Dose of Emotion
“Now is the best time to make a change, for the future is built upon the choices we make today.” Unknown The latest school portraits of the granddaughters: These photos are placed with one on each side of my TV. Even when the TV is turned off I can see the faces of these beautiful … More Will Anyone Say Thank You In Twenty Years?
If you’re asked to describe a courageous person, what comes to mind? A firefighter, dashing to save a life? Galileo Galilei’s defense of the Earth revolving around the Sun? Roald Amundsen’s expedition to the South Pole? In each of these cases, there’s a need to face danger, so courage is present. But is this the … More Can You See Different Shades of Courage?
When I was a young kid, I was small for my age. We’d line up at the start of the year, smallest to the tallest, and I would always be one of the shortest boys in my class. I wasn’t the smartest either, I had to work hard for my grades. Every ‘A’ felt like … More If there were 100 people in the world?
The Heart of the Matter 