Handwriting on the Wall
After the two previous posts, we need to address our actions on behalf of others nearing the end of their lives. Too often, people go too late because of us. The ObviousMy saintly octogenarian mother-in-law is fond of saying, “It’s no fun getting old.” After my mom passed, one of her fellow assisted-living residents strolled […]
Dealing with Our Loss
What about our grief? We will consider different perspectives while acknowledging that a solitary blog post is particularly inadequate for those who have suffered the loss of a spouse or descendant. Cathy and I witnessed our parents grieve the deaths of their oldest children and dear friends unexpectedly lose their husbands. In these cases, I […]
The Gift of Presence
You receive the dreaded phone call with news of a death and are faced with addressing those closest to the decedent. Even if you are one of them, serving others is good and necessary medicine. Next week, we discuss your grieving process. What to Do?First, express your condolences. Do not miss the opportunity to offer […]
The Die is Cast?
If we are not careful, we will waste time looking in the rearview mirror, ruminating on things we cannot change and hoping for a different past. We can become mired in guilt over past wrongdoing or falsely believe that our past confines us to a fixed destiny. UnworthyWe will have regrets and wish we could […]
Knew This Was Coming
The GroundworkAlthough this is one of the two topics (the other being politics) you are not supposed to discuss, I have overcome my reluctance to talk about faith because of its crucial importance. I am not here to evangelize for a specific faith tradition, even though I have hitched my wagon to one. I am […]
Time is on Our Side
After last week’s post, do you think I have gone soft? No, I expect everyone in our country to abide by our laws. Following customs is a matter of respect and courtesy, not a moral imperative. Although the American1 Way and Christianity are increasingly mispracticed, they have served the country well, and I advocate correcting […]
Real American Values
Maybe I shouldn’t be, but I am shocked that many are abandoning fundamental American principles and seeking to deny Muslims the right to practice and live according to their faith. In a neighboring suburb, 500 people recently showed up at a city council meeting to protest the approval of a mosque’s building permit. The protesters […]
Poor Ally
What holds us back from embracing the highly touted abundant mindset? Scarcity. The scarcity mindset makes you think small, settling for getting by instead of prospering. In contrast, the abundant mindset seeks progress rather than preservation, and sees promise in every circumstance. CauseOur survival instinct, tendency to compare, and fear incline us toward scarcity. While […]
Shifting Sands
President JFK’s words from his inaugural speech, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” were repeated often during my childhood. Over the past 60 years, there has been a definite shift from that once famous proposition to the idea that the government is the solution […]
Police the Boundary
Hold Your HorsesWe all have a nemesis: a sister who insists you watch her newborn every Saturday night, a boss who calls you on the weekend, or a friend who is always an hour late for dinner. Too often, we suffer in relative silence and tolerate the behavior because we fear disrupting the relationship. We […]