The current state of the world is...not great. So many of our problems are global, governmental, and systemic, stemming from conflicts spanning thousands of years. Perhaps, like me, you wonder, "What the heck can one person do?" When I am overwhelmed by an avalanche of things I can’t control, I find it helpful to focus on what I can. And then I came across this quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta: "If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family." Ah, good ol' Mother Teresa. What a pleasant thought from a sweet old lady beloved the world over. …
Everyone Needs an Angel in Their Corner
We offered my daughter a chance to make a million dollars and she turned it down. OK, "millions" might be stretching it, but adjusted for the economy of childhood, one could make a strong case. Here's the story: Virginia Rose drew a picture of an angel for her grandfather during his last days. He displayed it prominently in the hospital and at the hospice center, and it seemed to deeply move everyone who saw it. It became a source of great joy and comfort for him, and he requested that it be placed in his casket at the time of his burial. A copy made its way to a wall in our kitchen, …
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How to Help Someone Who Is Grieving
My young traveling companion poked me on the elbow with a request I didn't see coming. From the moment Kim and I made the decision to move ahead with taking Ginny on her first Daddy Daughter trip despite the storm that had wrought havoc on our home, my mind was in overdrive. From forcing it to focus on what needed to land in my suitcase, to finding a gas station that had power so we could refuel, to asking the gate agent if he could make sure our seats were together, my brain was busy anticipating and solving every challenge that presented itself on our journey to …
Life Keeps Going
I woke up. The face of my bedside clock was expressionless. Still no power. It felt like time was standing still, but I knew otherwise. A quick check of my phone, whose battery was holding on for dear life, confirmed that I'd been asleep for exactly one hour. I was awake, but unfortunately, the nightmare persisted. It was 1:30 am, but no more sleep would be had by me that night. Eerie lightning flashes periodically silhouetted the stripped and broken trees rising from the backyard like a witch's bony fingers. It's an image I'll never forget. I had to leave for the airport …
Beautiful Questions from Ugly Cookies
QUESTION: Is it possible to create a working Volkswagon Beetle out of rice cereal treats and fondant? I don't think so, but I wouldn't be surprised to fire up Netflix one day and see it happen. I am awed by the mind-bending confections people create on those baking competition shows. It's entertaining television. But watching them make their beautiful creations don't teach us as much as the ugly stuff we create ourselves.A few years ago, I led an unusual workshop. Instead of whiteboards, charts, and slides, we rolled out frosting, sprinkles, and sugar cookies. There was only one …
Don’t Let Your Kids Grow Up to Be Dillholes
I know a guy who claims that his family is the most important thing in his life. He also brags about spending 300 days a year on the road as a speaker.I don’t know how many hours one needs to spend with one’s loved ones to register as "enough," but by my calculations, the math here doesn’t add up.Why is the person who works 60-hour weeks, spends 200 days on the road, and sits on three charitable boards applauded when they say that family is the most important thing, but another person who quits the rat race to stay home and spend more time with their family is seen as an underachiever not …
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Why You Should Definitely Give Your Home a Name
Does your home have a name?There are so many things to love about Mexico, from the culture to the bright colors and the delicious food. We've twice been there as a family (Tulum and Cabo) and were delighted to discover that many of the homes had signs denoting their name.It's a charming little detail we like very much, and so when we bought our new home, we decided it needed a name, too. We settled on Casa de Whimsy. And just as when you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk, if you give your house a name, you're going to need a sign to go with it.Ours hangs …
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‘Tis The Season to Tinker
As I write this, we’re still two weeks from Thanksgiving here in the United States, but I've already seen Christmas lights going up around town. Seems early to me, but maybe it springs from a collective yearning for the joy and nostalgia of the holidays, and the warm comfort it brings. I suspect it’s a desperate attempt to encourage 2020 to leave already.Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: our holidays will look different this year. Thanks to the pandemic, some of the ways we’re used to doing things just aren’t possible this year. For many, that is a source of great sadness.But it might …
Home Is Where The Heart Is
One good thing about the COVID-19 pandemic keeping us closer to home is that it brought back family dinner for many people. If this is one of the things that remains as part of what people refer to as a “new normal,” then I am all for it.This painting, titled “Home Fries,” is a reminder that home is where the heart is. And the place our heart gets nourished most is around the dinner table.In the the last hundred years or so, we’ve seen technology bring about more advancements than the rest of human history combined. We’ve come a long way, baby.For the most part, these advancements have served …
Make Way for Greatness: What Our Kids Really Need
The ganache wasn’t very ganachey. A rose kept falling off. And it was a little lopsided. But that didn’t make the cake my kids made for my anniversary any less a work of art, or a gift of love.It started as their desire to do something nice for our twentieth wedding anniversary. Since we’ve been binge-watching Kids Baking Championship, we gave them a challenge. They had to design and bake a cake that represented both Mom and Dad (a worthy challenge considering Kim and I fall on opposite ends of the dessert spectrum). It also needed to be at least two layers and be made from scratch. We …
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