My thoughts turn to a fundamental ritual: the family table. After dinner on Sunday, three generations leaned into conversations, propping our elbows on the kitchen table that stood for decades through years of mischief, arguments, tears, and joy. Wherever you take a meal this holiday, I wish you sweet memories.
Category: Essay
The Thin Veil Between Life, Love, and Death
A World War II pharmacist mate (medic) born on November 11, my dad treated his first patients during WWII. In his office, a floral watercolor featuring 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 hung on his wall—directly behind every patient. “4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
Marjoram in the Mail: Home-grown Gift Travels 850+ Miles
How often do you get a “personal” message—meaning a handwritten note from someone you actually know—versus a “personalized” brand communication using your first name? With my real-time and virtual mailboxes constantly bombarded, I didn’t think about it much until a letter with carefully packaged dried marjoram showed up from Des Moines, Iowa.
Spunk and Spark: Nannie Rewrote the Rules for Love and Marriage
From day one, Nannie was in charge. In 1915, she demanded driving lessons. She played basketball in finishing school and supported herself as a stenographer after a stint in business school. Her rules after marriage: 1) two children only; 2) her own car; 3) an annual bridge party vacation with “the girls” on St. Simons Island (no family, no questions).
Creative Flow Takes You off the Clock—into the Infinite
I wrote this letter to a colleague who dedicated years to writing a novel. It was not easy. When you chase something meaningful while navigating daily existence, you feel time’s tick. Yet there are moments when we slip wholly into creative flow that frees us to step out of time and connect with something greater.