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Rain, Rain, Rain… it feels like it has been falling constantly. Everything is damp, the grass seems to grow an inch a day, and there are worms everywhere. As rain permeates the ground, soaks the pavement, replenishes the air’s humidity, and turns eve…
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Evenings in my house are routine and, at the same time, anything but routine. Each evening, Malie and I connect to do our “calendaring.” We pull up tomorrow’s agenda to ensure we know who needs to be where and when, who is taking whom to what, and w…
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Much like many of you, my Apple playlist hasn’t moved too far away from playing Dolly Parton songs since her death a few weeks ago. Dolly was an entertainer rooted in faith, humility, and unbounded grace. She walked through the world with a ‘God-cent…
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I can still picture standing at the front of the class, taking a deep breath, and slightly mumbling these words: “Four score and seven years ago…” Each week, with the arrival of a new history theme or English topic, my fifth-grade teacher required…
This has to be one of my favorite seasons of the year. And no, I’m not talking about the slightly cooler temperatures, nor am I referring to the arrival of college football season. I’m talking about back-to-school time. It’s this time of the year tha…
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When my daughter started preschool, she had the most enormous backpack. Not only was she a tiny two-year-old, but I bought her the most oversized bag. I read that she needed a “full-sized” backpack, so her art wouldn’t get squished. Not wanting to ge…
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Several weeks ago, in the midst of the wonderfully exciting World Cup tournament here in the United States, I found myself listening to a conversation on National Public Radio between the host and a sports psychologist. The psychologist was offering…
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There are many attributes that come with being a proper Midwesterner: knowing how to drive in the snow, mastering the 10-minute good-bye, apologizing when someone bumps into you, serving dessert salads, saying “It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for…
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I love a good car game. You know, the type of game that is played while traveling from place to place, designed exclusively to pass the time? Growing up, my brother and I would play the “car color” game. It was a simple one. Each player picks a color…
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Many summers ago, my son was playing with friends on a Wisconsin lake beach. Nearby, another child was digging a hole in the sand with the tiniest shovel. As you can imagine, progress was slow. Little by little, she kept at it until another child ask…
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“Goodbyes hurt because you leave a piece of your heart behind with the people.” A friend of mine made this statement, shortly after I returned from my year in Cambodia. This quote perfectly captures how I feel about St. Paul this week. I remember whe…
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About this time every year, I get a bit nostalgic for a moment and think about my summers as a child. My mom did her best to keep my sister and me busy and occupied most of the summer, which usually meant a whole variety of camps and activities. Amon…