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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…
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What was the last thing you did that you didn’t want to end? Not just something that entertained you for a little while, but something that stayed with you afterward. Something that became a memory. Something you would gladly do again. We have no sh…
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, you’ve probably heard that the World Cup is currently taking place in multiple cities throughout North America. This international soccer tournament hosts 48 teams from around the world and millions o…
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Last week, on one of those evenings when it was just too muggy to do much of anything outside, my son asked to have a family art night. We all love to make stuff, but my son, Amos, is the only one among us who has any drawing skills. So, to make it m…
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I recently found myself sitting with friends around a firepit for the first time this season, and I was captivated by the simplicity of the moment. Faces illuminated with joy. Laughter came from every direction as people reconnected and caught up. Th…
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I’ve been thinking a lot about a podcast I listened to this past week, The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos. It was a re-aired episode from earlier in the year and a topic that often comes up in conversation with friends. This episode features yo…