Columns

Last week, I set out in my car to donate some household items to Goodwill. I’ve been there probably a dozen times, but this time I drove past the Goodwill building twice. Why? Because my community is missing signs. All kinds of signs. Street signs, building signs, and even stop…

In the Christian tradition, the season of Advent occurs for the four weeks leading to Christmas. Through the time leading up to the birth of Christ, we take a fearless moral inventory and address the issues that keep us from experiencing hope and contentment. I often equate Advent as a…

An excellent sitcom in the late 1970s and early ’80s featured the character Herb Tarlek, played by Frank Bonner. Fans of “WKRP in Cincinnati” will remember how Tarlek, a sales manager, would do anything necessary to secure advertising for his radio station, such as soliciting ads from outrageous…

I recently bought an unexpectedly large number of indoor plants. After previously having just one living room plant and a dying cactus, I suddenly had an epiphany about redecorating with multiple houseplants. I managed to create a relaxing sanctuary, and now every day feels like a tiny vacation! Since my…

I tell my sons that I love them every day and at the end of every conversation. I can count on one hand the number of days I haven’t spoken to them. However, sometimes I fear my words fall on deaf ears, as my pronouncement of devotion may sound repetitive…

I’ve been reading quite a bit of philosophy in my free time lately. Right now I’m reading the works of Seneca, a first-century Stoic philosopher. I’ve always been interested in Stoic philosophy and its teachings. As a field of study, Stoicism is concerned mainly with how humans can attain…

Stephanie was my foster child in the ’90s. She was the cutest little girl on the planet. With curly, bright-red hair and freckles, she had a charisma and charm that were hard to ignore. Stephanie was born with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. She developed full-blown AIDS when she…

I do not give up. It’s in my DNA to find answers to questions, even if it takes a long time. I hope my sons, who both have hemophilia, inherit this characteristic of seeking out answers. I pray they have the strength to never accept defeat. I tell them…

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen during the holiday season. I enjoy creating my favorite dishes and finding new and exciting recipes. Many people follow recipes strictly, but I find joy in realizing they’re more of a guide than an exact science. Using a guide to cook…

With the holiday season fast approaching, many of us are clamoring to buy gifts for the people we hold dear. But it can be hard to find gifts even for those closest to us. This is especially true if they’re easily satisfied or, on the other end of the spectrum,…