(1) Read books. Anything you can find. Novels, human interest, political, current events, cultural studies, and so forth. Get a sense of the place. (2) Learn the language. Do what you can before you go. Keep it up once you’re there. (3) Interview people who’ve lived there. Take them to dinner, listen to stories, and […]
Category: family
Seven Things I’ve Learned About Hospitality
(1) Make guests feel at home. What’s ours is yours. There’s the fridge and here’s a house key, local map, and schedule of events. Come and go as you please, and let us know when to expect you for meals. (2) Provide privacy. Phone calls, personal conversations, spiritual renewal, and daily hygiene are best kept […]
Seven Things I’ve Learned About Surviving a Child’s Suicide (from a Parent Who’s Been Through It)
(1) You never forget. “He’s everywhere I look. Sitting in that chair. Standing by the kitchen sink. Coming down the stairs. Watching television.” (2) You rage against God. “Why did you let this happen to our son? He was a great kid! We did our best to please you and raise him right — why […]
Stepmoms, Part Two
Sometimes dads remarry because their wives die while the kids are young. We learned of three such situations recently, and none of the new stepmoms had prior experience being moms. The first new mom was the victim of a cheating husband in her previous marriage. She views the kids’ first mom as a competitor vying […]
Stepmoms, Part One
A volunteer who uses our book called with a stepmom story. She told us about Stephanie, a girl in her group who got a new mom this summer. Like so many, Stephanie’s blended family is struggling to communicate and love well. One example: Stephanie left dishes in the sink. Her new mom quietly asked her to […]
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