Some day, we’ll look back on today with more perspective than we now possess. The good news is, it doesn’t take years or trials to gain perspective. We can glean much from those we know — and especially from our elders. By going through old photos together. Or asking Grandma what she learned about life […]
What work isn’t.
When I was nine, my father built a giant sieve to separate stones from the soil. He wanted a lawn back where the yard was still piles of rubble from a construction project. At dinner that night he asked me to help him shovel one of the piles through the sieve. At nine, my idea […]
Calling the plumber.
Imagine arriving home at day’s end to find greasy black liquid spreading across the counter, running down the cabinets onto the floor, and soaking into the hallway carpet. A backed-up kitchen sink on the middle floor of a forty-storied apartment building is neither peaceful nor relaxing. A quick call brought two men running down the […]
The secret of humility.
There’s a quiet presence to humility. It’s gentle. You experience it in butterfly exhibits and hospital rooms. A deference to the other. A gentle touch that affirms dignity. It’s also evident on airplanes when someone stops to help the elderly couple lift their carry-ons into the overhead bin. A fragrance of grace in the urgent aisle. Humility […]
The cost of goals.
Goals are important — they help us think beyond ordinary outcomes. They’re also a burden, because aiming farther requires more of us (and others). Every historical marvel cost time, money, rest, relationships, alternate opportunities, and lives. Stepping back, achieving goals is really about perseverance, which entails strength of character, sacrifice, and encouragement. Not all goals […]
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