The Christmas season reminds us to be generous. Folks everywhere, religious or not, stock food pantries, collect warm coats and donate to charities. How about those who struggle with mental illness, which is one in five adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Extra kindness can make a difference. So much mental suffering […]
(Photo by Tom Fox/Reuters) Extreme forgiveness brings harsh criticism in the face of rulings, verdicts and sentences that appear unfair. For loss of life, the right punishment or exact recompense is never reached. Therefore, how is forgiveness even possible? Texas police officer Amber Guyger entered an apartment she mistook for her own, and shot and […]
Christianity gets bad PR from our so-called “very own.” The label “Christian” doesn’t automatically make one Christ-like. You’re not a financial expert just because you play Sudoku numbers. Many outsiders stereotype Christianity as inflexible, judgmental, harsh, exclusive, and self-righteous. In one sense, they are right. Christianity has been hijacked to a public and perverse […]
(Photo: Suzette Standring with granddaughter Lulu at The Cahoon Museum of Art in Cotuit, Cape Cod, MA) I’m a senior with benefits, very different from “friends with benefits.” Turning 65 is a loaded baked potato: retirement, social security, Medicare, all slathered in anti-aging creams, and sprinkled with AAA senior discounts. What just happened? One minute […]
(Photo: Vivian aka “Muggins,” Suzette, Alice and Elvira aka “Curly” – friends since 1960) Patience is hard, especially when a problem rents headspace 24/7. Others may talk about kids or personal passions, but no, somehow I want to insert my issue into every conversation. I had to choke-chain myself when childhood friends came calling. Could […]