Fellow human traveler, I see you. Carrying your hopes and heading up towards the warmth of the sun. You glow in its reflection. The youth and optimism in your eyes is captivating. You remind me of myself when I first set out. Do you see me? Look further down, into the shadows. You might have... Continue Reading →
Seeing Black: A Call to Empathy
[Note to the reader: If you don't read the whole thing, you will miss the point] In downtown Chicago, the 66 bus runs from the brilliant Magnificent Mile at Michigan Avenue westward. Michigan Avenue is known for its pristine sidewalks, designer stores and breathtaking views of city skyscrapers. But along the course of the 66... Continue Reading →
Why Beauty Matters
I tend to orient my days around tasks and getting things done. I relish the feeling that comes with crossing out a line on my “To Do” list. Accompanied with this sense of completion, I am guided by my practical mindset. My plans and my purchases are measured by their usefulness and functionality. And... Continue Reading →
His Hands
I almost lost myself… Rationale strung in knots; sentiments tempted to tear. Sight opposed belief. Crippling brokenness overwhelmed. Nihilism overtook. With clenched fists held high, flailing in the air, “How could this happen to me?!” I sat destitute with Job beside me. His arms were raw from boiled flesh. He was alone and rejected. ... Continue Reading →
Eulogy for a Carseat
“You can just set that anywhere on the floor over there” I looked down at the empty infant carseat awkwardly dangling from my hand. Then I stared back to the impersonal floor space I had been directed to in Babies R Us. I paused. I felt like this space required a ceremony or a eulogy... Continue Reading →
We Are All Left Grieving
Can you feel the dissonance? After living in 11 places in the past 10 years, I am familiar with the feeling of moving. But in these last months, we all have moved. Almost overnight an unrecognizable world has emerged, eclipsing the familiar. The backdrop of our daily lives has been abruptly torn away. And even... Continue Reading →
There is Beauty Here Too
A thick covering of white snow blanketed our Easter weekend. Just when perky daffodils and welcoming tulips were emerging and greeting our tired souls with hopeful color, an ocean of white overtook them and washed them out. In the middle of a global pandemic, the new life of spring sparked reminders of hope, and I... Continue Reading →