When I turned fifty, I declared to friends and family that my intention was to become even more earnest. That might sound simple, or even simplistic, but in a world of ever-escalating cynicism, it was the most courageous resolution I could imagine. As Ferris Bueller reminds us, life moves pretty fast. Before we know it, […]
In this season of bounty and harvest and gratitude, I’ve been considering enough-ness, and how deep our fear of scarcity can run. Made a pie for Thanksgiving? Why not two or three? Earned an A-minus on an assignment? Why not an A-plus? Ran a marathon? Why not an ultra-marathon? Sometimes this kind of ambition is […]
If you’re in the United States this week, and you’re lucky,amidst the turkey and pie and traffic jams and football games, you’ve had a moment to actually think about the word Thanksgiving. Thanks. Giving. One reason this holiday is so treasured is that we feel better when we count our blessings. Research has borne this […]
Eternal in its passing… I am spending this post-Thanksgiving dawn with Wendell Berry, via the newly published Art of Loading Brush. As always, there is a sense of stillness when reading Berry’s words, which is not to be confused with a sense of complacency, or even peace. It’s the kind of stillness that comes […]
What’s your favorite argument? Odds are that we’ve all had some of our least favorite arguments in recent weeks. These will continue, rightfully so, but as we prepare for Thanksgiving in the US, I’m pausing a moment to consider, what is my favorite argument? In our house, two favorites are the Collins Irish Bread Argument and […]