Feb
16
2023
I have been reading my dad’s Words of Hope messages lately. I was surprised to find one in April of 2021 where my dad wrote, “My promise for 2021 is just to live in the reality that enough is good enough.”
It...
Feb
15
2023
I have been pondering a message Brene Brown gave on resentment. She explains that resentment stems from envy rather than anger.
This would have been an incredible conversation with Dad. I imagine our dialogue. He would talk about resentment connected...
Feb
14
2023
It is Valentine’s Day, a day most people focus on romantic love. However, the namesake for this day was deeply devoted to so much more than romantic love. There are many legends about Saint Valentine, many around him restoring...
Feb
13
2023
Dad and I memorized a beautiful poem by Wendell Berry. One of the poignant lines says, “when despair for the world grows in me…” Despair is the opposite of hope. It is the helpless feeling of careening out of...
Feb
10
2023
A friend of mine told me she heard about my dad’s love for calling people “a miracle.” She began to do this as a substitute teacher in a Western Washington school district. She puts her name on the board...
Feb
09
2023
Our family liked to tease Dad that he would be peaceful hearing about his car being wrecked but enraged about five crumbs on the table. He would laugh along with us, and we would have a good conversation about...
Feb
08
2023
I just finished a historical book on Florence.
After reading it, I felt compelled to write an unfavorable review. I usually never write unfavorable reviews because I like to give others the benefit of the doubt. The man, clearly erudite...
Feb
07
2023
Some of my daughter’s friends are incredibly kind and remarkable people. They do not know what they believe about faith. They are curious but feel inadequate in the face of deciding what to believe. When asked about life after...
Feb
06
2023
I am reading a historical novel about Quebec set in 1697. The author, one of my favorites, did extensive research for this book. She described many who came to Canada from France leaving family, privilege, and comforts behind. This...
Feb
03
2023
Dad loved the Trinity. He literally was ecstatic about the community and unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Because of his deep love for this, one of his favorite numbers was three. When he was in Italy at...
