The dictionary might define “grand” as very good or enjoyable, excellent. But when I was invited to host our two granddaughters for an entire Monday through Friday, I discovered that grand is so much more than a definition; it’s a way of being present in the world. Planning for Excellence I knew from the moment I said yes that I was shooting for something special. This time wouldn’t be just a week of babysitting; this…
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During this past spring’s spiritual formation program residency, my instructor noted that the average time someone spends looking at a piece of art in a museum is just 21 seconds. Glancing is the hurried impulse to see it all.Gazing is something altogether differenta willingness to let everything else fall away,to focus wholly on one thing. The Cliffs by Jules Breton – National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Photo taken 3/17/25 The image above is currently…
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As a child, summer nights meant one thing—flashlight tag. It was thrilling, a mix of fear and excitement. Our large home provided the perfect setting. A ledge on two corners allowed us to set the flashlight down, keeping everyone guessing whether “It” was holding the flashlight or if it was safe to sneak past. We knew the terrain well—where the flower beds lined one side, the covered stairs led to the basement, and how to…
Leave a CommentWhile February is known as the month of love, I think less about romance and more about the love of friends. If anything, it has been the love of my friends that has supported my nearly 40 years of love with my husband, Gary. We live in an age of increasing isolation, losing the deep social capital that once wove our communities together. I count it a privilege in 2025 to live in the same…
4 CommentsIt must have been during my first year at the Naval Academy. I don’t recall my specific offenses—perhaps I had failed to carry my weight, or maybe I’d dared to speak out. What I do remember was bemoaning the rough treatment of women, especially as it concerned me, to my father. He listened, of course. My father, a proud graduate of the Naval Academy Class of ’42, had been forged in a very different fire.…
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