Did you know that the words “gratitude” and “grace” come from the same Latin root word, “gratia?” “Grace” is a theological word that signifies a free and unmerited gift. I like to think of it as God indiscriminately tossing gifts around to all of us, gifts none of us…
ED AND I — MOVING INTO OLD AGE TOGETHER My Ed just had a birthday, so he’s now in his 80th year. How is that even possible? When I was young, 80 seemed really…
DREAMS OF PERFECTION ABOUT TO BE SHATTERED May 8th is Mother’s Day, a day we celebrate motherhood and recognize and appreciate our mothers’ roles in our lives. I think many of us can agree that Mother’s Day is a loaded holiday:…
RE-ENTRY ANXIETY March 20 was the first day of spring 2022, marking a time of year when plants begin displaying new growth after the dormancy of winter. When animals are coming out of their winter hibernation to mate and reproduce. When…
I am struck by the incongruity of this week’s back-to-back rituals: Mardi Gras, a festival of shameless debauchery – often behind masks, and Ash Wednesday, a time of shameful regrets. The two seem mutually exclusive, don’t they? Mardi Gras’ underlying theme of…
Memories – Experiences – Reactions John and Clara Schmidt touched the lives of many people, including family, friends, and patients, as well as those who supported their mission work through voluntary service and donations. In addition to the 740 written sources of material unitlized in…