the beauty of an ordinary life
This post is part of a series that explores that simple, complicated idea of "home" as I try to reconcile my now-empty nest and conflicting feelings about my hometown. In the 23 years since I came "home" to Memphis (not intending to stay more than six months), I've thought a great deal about the psychological … Continue reading Homebuilding.
Is rugged individualism now truly in our DNA? Have we relayed that instruction over centuries of systematically pursuing individual liberties lead us beyond policy, beyond philosophy, to a place in which our bodies became coded as lone wolves and utter assholes?
It is in the seemingly unimportant, small, incremental decisions that "work-life balance" either is or isn't settled.
What if the tension between Independence and Interdependence got as much consideration as the exalted to-do list and decision-making matrix?
When my son was in middle school I went to a workshop/book group for parents of almost-teenagers. The topic, generally speaking, was how to help steer clear of risky behavior. The book we received, handed out the night the group met, was 100 Questions You'd Never Ask Your Parents. We barely discussed the book, which … Continue reading Something kind.
Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid.Frederick Buechner The bad news? The year ahead will be full of sadness, grief, disappointment, and struggle. Exactly like the year we're wrapping up today. And the year before that. And all the years before that. To be fair, the current state of … Continue reading Cloudy with a chance of …
Near the top of my gratitude heap is deep appreciation for all of the people who have invested in me, in one way or another, by offering a mystic mix of honest feedback (delivered kindly), prudent encouragement, and pearls of wisdom. The list of names is quite long, hence the deep gratitude. Among the pearls … Continue reading What’s one thing you need help with, right now?
True story: Fourteen years ago I made a New Year's resolution to eliminate toxic people from my life. I had two particular people in mind when I made this promise to myself, and in the short run the resolution (to which I stayed faithful) had the desired effect. I was free. Free! Until the days … Continue reading Good housekeeping.
jenny's lark 