My Thoughts
3 Reasons to Have a Family Christmas Spiritual Tradition
When I was seven years old, my brother and I received the most wonderful Christmas gifts. We each were given a Stori-viewer and a set of full-color picture story cards. These were not just ordinary picture cards. They were 3-D when displayed in the Stori-viewer. The pictures were intricately detailed scenes depicting the facts of Jesus’ birth as written in Luke 2:1-20. The sharing of these cards has developed into a family Christmas tradition. In our family, the Stori-viewer ritual takes place...
2 Types of Tears
I have been crying a lot. My mother recently passed away. It startled me to discover that my tears sprung forth for many different reasons, and I suspect that is true for most grieving people. Death is all about relationships being severed. I cry because: I know I will never see Mom again. I love her and cannot imagine life with her absent. Oh the house is so quiet! I wish I had followed through with all of my promises. I wish I had spent more time with her when I was younger and too busy...
Bad Things Come in Threes
These pessimistic words were rudely pronounced when I informed a friend that a lifetime neighbor had died. He was number two. My mother’s passing the week before was number one. The implication was that someone we know is going to die soon. And someone probably will. How can these prophetic words not be true? I know many older people who are not very healthy. Winter is especially hazardous for them with slippery walkways, flu, and pneumonia threatening. If we include all kinds of bad luck, I...