“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” -Iain Thomas  

It seems that almost every week there is a terrible tragedy somewhere in the world that needs to be mourned. This week our tears fall for the victims of violence in Nice, France. The challenge for me is not to give in to fear and anger — though I feel both — but to keep…

These words by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are in memory of those, both black and white, who were killed this past week by hatred and gun violence. The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.…

What I would give to see the Broadway smash hit “Hamilton,” the upbeat, hip-hop, show about that great American, Alexander Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creator and star of the Tony Award winning show that brings to life the struggle to create the American experiment. As we celebrate the birth of our country this week, I thought…

I spent most of a week with my brainstorming friends this month. This quote says it all. Thanks for old friends who understand when an idea isn’t top notch and a phrase can’t be recalled and an idea dies mid-sentence. I hope you have old friends like this, as well. Maybe you can send this…

I love this quote, which I found on the Barnes and Noble website, and it seems exactly right for Father’s Day. I hope today is filled with memories of good men who have been fathers or like fathers to you throughout your life. I’m glad we have set aside a time to celebrate and remember…

Helen Keller should know. Born blind and deaf, she overcame more suffering than most of us can imagine, becoming one of the most inspirational writers of the 20th century. I’ve used her quotes before, and probably will again. All of us suffer throughout our lives, but isn’t it amazing — bordering on miraculous — how…

Before we moved to Florida we lived in Arlington, Virginia, and our home was only a few miles from Arlington Cemetery. I visited when a friend or family member from the military was laid to rest, and I was always shocked by how beautiful a place it is, the rolling hills of green lawns and majestic…

Nemo, our beautiful Blue Tick Beagle, left us this past week, and we miss him very much. For nine years he was a joyful and healing presence in our lives — though also a trial from time to time. Nemo was rescued from the path of a bush hog as an abandoned puppy by our oldest…