I’ve lived in Africa since 1987, and this experience has challenged and transformed me. I have learned languages, customs, and cultural cues very different from mine. Initially, I resisted the…
I wasn't expecting this memory to come up today. It's been eleven years since my brother, Matthew, passed away. In the past few weeks, I've been thinking about Matthew. While…
I wrote this when tomorrow came. For me, there’s a tomorrow I’ll never forget. The phone rang. I immediately picked up and heard my daughter Mandy's voice on the other…
Grief is funny. I wrote this post about 6 months ago and the grief still lingers. I still seems like yesterday. This morning I woke up early. It’s not really…
Take some time to be thankful today. I have gained perspective as I've grown older. It’s an inevitable consequence of going through the school of life. Having perspective is one…
Earlier this year, I wrote this post on how important it is to listen carefully. The lessons in it still feel relevant today. I’ve learned that the hard lessons of…
Today I woke up to my first full day without both parents. It is, I suppose, a normal expectation. All of us will likely outlive our parents. At least we…
I grew up with my Dad reading me the story of “Little Red Riding Hood” in Finnish (my parents come from Finland). Translated to Finnish it’s called, “Pieni Punahilkka.” The…
The past few weeks have been harsh. I'm tempted to think, "If this is what the beginning of the year looks like, I'm not looking forward to how the rest…
