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I find plenty of news in old books鈥淚 am not much taken by the new books,鈥� Michel de Montaigne declared in the 16th century. I'm carrying that torch into the 21st.
In the Cold War鈥檚 depths, a glimmer of lightEssayist Peter Bridges had come to Moscow鈥檚 U.S. Embassy just prior to the Cuban missile crisis. He found something unexpected in Russia: hope.
At the airport, I鈥檓 overtaken by graceMy trip had been a disaster, due to my own reticence. And now, who is this man tapping me on聽my shoulder?
A Christmas tree for Mrs. MuellerOur class tree was the perfect gift for our widowed neighbor. It took an inside job to get it out of the classroom.
Finding their voice, and a gracious way of giving (animation)The carolers鈥� first stops left much to be desired. And so they adapted, they improvised. And they sang their way into an arena of good cheer.
A city girl鈥檚 epiphany splitting woodThe meditative quality of log splitting can lead to many brilliant ideas 鈥� ideas that must be shared. Or so it seems.
You call that 鈥榳eather鈥�? A Kansan and Californian debate.The weather in Kansas is intriguing, if not always pleasant. California鈥檚 is delightful, but repetitive.聽
Writing to the writers in my lifeWhat I鈥檝e found, on the whole, is that writers love all kinds of writing 鈥� including letters from readers like me.
When strangers become links in a chain of compassionWhen a stranger on the subway helped me recover my stolen lunch, I knew I had to pay it forward somehow.
For me, the flower-child option arrived just in timeMy authentic self suffered through a home perm and much of high school, until I was rescued by the 1960s.
Everyday feats that are arguably OlympianBeing the world鈥檚 fastest human is one thing. What about other records, like forgetting to聽bring reusable shopping bags to grocery 216 trips in a row?
A bold call for local reform, a quick text to MomAbruptly home from college, my son and his friends started a local political party. Then I 鈥� his mother 鈥� became their candidate.
An autumn harvest of joy 鈥� and applesOur totes were overflowing. But Sebastian turned toward the trees, lamenting, 鈥淏ut there are still so many apples left.鈥�
From beetles to clouds, finding happiness in nature鈥檚 surprisesThe power of surprise does not diminish with education. Education only improves your odds of being elated by something.
Aloha, adventureIt was 1968, and I聽was in Hawaii for Peace Corps training. One day we were dropped off in pairs along the highway, and told to fend for ourselves.
What a childhood prank taught me about peopleAs a child, my prank-loving self collided with my compulsively honest one. I learned that even the strictest teachers can laugh at a joke 鈥� sometimes.
On an island, you can become oneIn my mind鈥檚 eye I was the solitary inhabitant of Gr铆msey, as much a part of the island as the island and all its graces had become a part of me.
After 9/11, this chaplain sows seeds of religious understandingAfter the 9/11 attacks, our essayist, a chaplain,聽was suddenly in demand to explain the roots of violence in Islam, Judaism, and 海角大神ity.
An Afghanistan veteran鈥檚 jagged path from war to peaceAn Afghanistan veteran reflects on his path from war to peace and the need for both separation and connection in order to heal.
Why tender grass requires nerves of steelThe Greek gods should have given聽Sisyphus a lawn mower instead of a rock, and put him in Coral Gables instead of on a hill in Hades.
