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I have reached my limit. Maybe you have too. It used to be that I could escape political ads by switching to a streaming service. Not anymore. This fall, nearly every commercial break, on every platform, is someone telling me how dangerous, dishones…
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In January of 1975, the brilliant jazz pianist Keith Jarrett sold out a show at the Koln Opera House in Cologne, Germany. Over 1,400 people had bought tickets to the first ever jazz concert in this stunning venue. Before he showed up, Jarrett had req…
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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…