If life were a bike ride, the sprockets would serve its many seasons. Certain sprockets require strenuous effort, yet when we push hard, we gain distance. Others are uselessly easy when not needed, but they allow us to climb the uphill side of life’s Wolf Creek Passes without giving up. Sprockets also reflect the type […]
Category: character
Transitions.
What a mixed bag. They’re often chosen, welcomed, and invigorating, but not always. They can represent the end of a season or the acceptance of a new reality. Some transitions are planned; others are imposed. Since we’re always transitioning from one thing to another, it’s helpful to consider not just the inevitability of change, but […]
Who will you thank when you look back on today?
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 […]
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 […]