I went to a memorial service recently for a woman who had some physical disabilities. One of her brothers spoke so eloquently about her toughness and fighting spirit, but also used the word “broken” to describe her. He used this word respectfully and in a way that made me admire and not pity her. He…
I was part of a get-together recently where one of the members was leaving our group. He has been part of this group for decades, and has decided to step away because he isn’t in the best of health. We only see each other a few times each year, but there was something so poignant…
I am sitting in an airport gate area and happened to look at those around me. There are 2 gentlemen across from me wearing polos and shorts. From their attire and conversation, I assume they are going on a guys’ golfing trip. Beside me, there is a young girl talking on the phone. She is…
I tend to speak with a lot of labels attached. I talk about “Bob, my former student”. “Leslie, my coworker”. The name may not jog the memory of who that person is, but the situation to which they are tied does. In this context, labels are a good thing. There are contexts, though, where…
I have only been to Italy once, and it was just a day trip. We were spending 2 weeks in Bavaria and there was an organized tour for the day to Vipiteno. We spent hours on the bus each direction to eat pasta and shop for leather before boarding the bus back. It was barely…
I had a brief meeting with a friend recently to drop something off and she asked if I could sit and chat for a bit. We communicate quite a bit electronically so I knew most of what was going on with her so this wasn’t one of those “tell me how you’re doing” moments. It…
I would not describe myself as “outdoorsy”. I have nothing against the outdoors, but I don’t seem to crave it like some others do. When I visualize a perfect day, it usually involves activities inside. I do think you can feel the need to breathe air that isn’t artificially made and I do from…