One of the blessings of retirement is travel. Oftentimes we hold back during our working years thinking, “I’ll just wait ‘til I retire--then my bags will be packed.” I recently traveled on a tour of Japan, an intriguing country long on our bucket list of international destinations. More on that in a moment. But suffice it to say that travel helps us learn, explore, and (hopefully) change our perspective. All of these are preconditions to release our creative juices, even as we age.
If there was a year when the whole world was ready to put up a new calendar, this is it. We have all experienced the fear of a virus more contagious than ever seen..
One of the highlights of Advent is decorating our family Christmas tree. We get the boxes out of the attic and carry them down with care. There are two huge boxes with..
It is the 13,959th word in the Tale of Melibee. Some call it the longest, most boring of all the Canterbury Tales. After scanning 25 pages to find the word “contempt,” I..
It is fitting that the scriptural lessons at the beginning of Advent are about gloom and doom. Prophecies about the need for change usually fall at this time of year as..
The calendar page turns to December. The tiny lights are twinkling in my neighborhood, Christmas carols are on the radio, and my heart yearns for the preparations of..
Our lives have been radically altered this year as we reflect upon gratitude and prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving. Community spreading of the coronavirus and..
November. Finally, it is post-election day. There’s a breath of Indian Summer in the air this week in Michigan, and my heart is lighter. I’ve made conscientious efforts..
So many ways to say thank you — a hug, a kiss, a handshake, a touch on the arm. Too personal, however, until this time of waiting out a pandemic ends.
Learning at a young age that my voice matters, I have been voting in elections since I was eighteen years old. Last night, I logged onto a website to track my absentee..
