Perspective
‘Keep that hope machine running strong’
It started with the Italians, whose arias rose from the balconies. They were on lockdown, but their voices rang out down empty moonlit streets. Ballads, the national anthem, improvised ditties […]
Perspective
‘Joyful momentum’ when two or more are gathered
There comes a moment when something clicks. At a book club or a Bible study. In a carpool circle or a coffee shop. A connection is made, and a gathering […]
Perspective
What I learned on the pond: Reckoning with winter
The snow has begun. It is expected to last 18 hours, piling 9 inches high and crippling weekend plans. The streets are emptying, the collective dash to the grocery store […]
Perspective
The story of our lives
I’m beginning the new year with a clean office. It seems a good place to start, a practical way to set me up for any other resolutions I make. My […]
Perspective
Rudolph to the rescue: the triumph of an under-deer
Robert May was painfully aware of the distance between his dreams and his reality. The 34-year-old Dartmouth graduate had long fantasized about writing the great American novel. Instead, he was […]
National
Minnesota high school prepares for beatification of one of its own
ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) — A man who scrubbed toilets and shoveled sidewalks at Cretin-Derham Hall High School is on his way to becoming a saint, and the school is […]
Perspective
Grandma remembers: the secret of 90
It has become a four-generation tradition to head south of the cities and take in a small-town celebration of fall. Our route winds between soaring bluffs and a shimmering lake. […]
Perspective
Wonderfully made: finding courage to create
I was a sophomore in college when I received the little blue book, a gift from a friend who also wanted to be a writer. At the time I was […]
Perspective
Being resourceful: I can read! I can pray!
“We ate our honey. We ate a lot. Now we have no honey in our honey pot.” With those 17 words, averaging just three letters in length, Jan and Stan […]
Perspective
Searching for silver linings: grace after the storm
Business was good. So good, in fact, that the family company had become one of the largest breweries in New England, producing 300,000 barrels a year and supporting two generations […]
Perspective
Living in largo: in praise of a slower pace
There is an art and a science to slow living. This summer I’m trying to learn both. In music you can measure it. The tempo called “largo” – Italian for […]
Perspective
How to accept criticism: a spiritual exercise
More than 19 million people tuned in to watch the final episode of “Game of Thrones” May 19, making it the most viewed show to ever air on HBO. Yet […]