Debates on Social Media? No Comment

This year, for the first time ever, our family decided to request a presidential candidate’s yard sign. After receiving the sign, I placed it off to the side of our front porch, telling myself we would display it in the front yard in a few days. A few days passed, and I did indeed move

Reflections on Race

While online recently, I came upon an article about Charles Schulz, the famous creator of the comic strip “Peanuts.” The article described how Mr. Schulz introduced a Black boy named Franklin into his comic strip after receiving letters from a schoolteacher, Harriet Glickman. Ms. Glickman wrote to Mr. Schulz encouraging him to consider the positive

On Impulse

Our family’s rescue dog Graydy recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his leg. We opted for the surgery after learning that, without it, he would likely suffer from arthritis and limited mobility at a young age. When we picked him up the morning after surgery, it took me a moment to reconcile

Identity in a Crisis

As my youngest son prepares to start college, I find myself thinking about my own undergraduate experience at Northwestern University. I took many thought-provoking classes and expanded my perspective beyond small-town Iowa as I explored the city of Chicago. One experience absent from my college life, however, was the opportunity to cheer for winning football

Finding Common Ground, Six Feet Away

In addition to a movie featuring Audrey Hepburn, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is the title of perhaps the only recognizable song by a band called Deep Blue Something. The song is sung from the point of view of a man whose girlfriend is on the verge of breaking up with him because she feels the two

Some Calm in Calamity

The Coronavirus Pandemic remains first and foremost on many of our minds. Many of us have personal connections to someone who has contracted the virus, and tragically, a few of us have suffered the loss of a friend, co-worker, or family member. Those of us still going to the store are seeing more customers and

A New Era of Coping

A few short weeks ago, my thoughts revolved around how successful my high school senior’s tennis season would be, how to get started on the long-overdue master bathroom updates, and whether the budget could sustain a family vacation this summer. Day-to-day life moved along at a hectic pace with the usual highs and lows. Today,

Be True to You

My husband and I enjoy taking regular walks in and around our neighborhood. Particularly in the nicer weather, we see several people out and about, and often wave or stop to say hello. We encounter one gentleman on a fairly regular basis who never acknowledges us in return. This has inspired an increased amount of

Life with Less Caution

A few months ago, our family decided to submit an application to a local dog rescue organization. Soon afterward, we were approved to meet a seven-month old puppy living with a foster family and found ourselves driving home with a new four-legged friend. There is no shortage of things to love about this young pup: