My friend Elena recently shared James Tissot’s “The Anxiety of Saint Joseph” as part of an Advent reflection, and the painting immediately resonated. This is a picture of Joseph, an often overlooked character in the Christmas story, sitting alone with his thoughts and inner turmoil among the wood shaving of his workshop. While his wife-to-be,…

When we were kids, change was easy, and a natural part of growing up. Each summer we graduated from one school grade, and began the next one in fall. We started playing a sport in one league, and playedin that league until we were too old for it. Beginnings and endings were determined by our…

Do you have a dream? We usually quite admire the folks do. Some people seem to be able to articulate quite clearly their life goal, and move resolutely towards it. I’ve never been one of those people. I’ve always been a little frustrated with myself for seeing too many options, each with their pros and…

In his book, The Gift, Lewis Hyde dissects gift-giving based on ancient cultures with gift-giving rituals. One of the key things that makes a gift a gift in these cultures, is that the gift must be given away by their recipients. Ancient cultures understood that gifts weren’t given to be hoarded by the recipient, but…

It snowed. It snowed! (It snowed last night…) Nothing changes the landscape and one’s perspective like a fresh blanket of white. Whether you respond by wanting to rush outside and play (like our three-year-old) or by counting the days toward spring (like every commuter), an obvious change in seasons is felt by everyone. It’s as…

When he tumbled down the hill, breaking his crown and fumbling his ego, he taught us all a lesson. If you’re running too quickly, if you feel like your legs can’t keep up, don’t try to be the tough guy. You don’t need to “man up” (whether or not you’re actually a man). It’s ok…

Here’s a Halloween tale: — The evening was crisp and the moon was bright The owls were just waking up for the night Our friend Frankenstein was swiping his phone His dwelling was empty and he felt quite alone Kids were out asking for tricks or for sweets Dressed up all in cardboard, facepaint and…

Growing up, one of my uncles lived across the country. He’d visit maybe once each year. But for the short time I spent with him, he had a disproportionate impact on my childhood. It would start when he would arrive at our house. As we welcomed him in, he always seemed to just happen to…