As Charlotte looked out the window, she saw more cars arriving at her neighbor’s house. She tried not to think about how lucky they were, to have so many friends and family. It seems that they had a party almost every night. As good neighbors do, of course, they had invited Charlotte to attend one of the neighborhood gatherings. Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to do it though. She glanced over at her son, playing with his toys, unaware of the fact that Charlotte hadn’t been

During a class in college, we talked about a subject that caught my attention - the fact that the brain can grow and change in physical structure. This fact was found by imaging the brains of London cab drivers. These drivers are required to memorize every street of London before they can become a driver. They study for four years before they take the test. Their brains were imaged before studying, during studying, and after taking the test. It was found that their hippocampu

Winter, spring, summer, and fall. Each of these seasons brings on new and exciting possibilities, new memories to be made, and new activities to explore. They also hold many traditions and memories that we remember with fondness. Each of these seasons also brings the opportunity to gather. Gathering with family and friends; gathering wood to stay warm for the winter; gathering fresh blooms from the spring garden; gathering the harvest from a summer garden; gathering a team fo

Are you just  a parent? Or are you a parent ? Are you just  a mother or just  a father? Or are you a mother or a father ? Why the questions with the funny emphasis? Why begin an article with a bunch of questions? Good question. I’m glad you asked! The way we speak of parents today is quite different than it was 100 years ago. In times past, it was almost inevitable for individuals to grow up and become parents. You may grow up to do many different things, but becoming a pare

I am a hugger, but I haven’t always been. I grew up in a great family, but we simply didn’t hug very much. As the years went on and I had my own family, I became a hugger. I wanted my kids to find peace and safety within our home and let them know they always had a place in my arms to get away from what was bothering them. I started doing this with my siblings and parents as well. It was awkward at first, no one quite knew what to do with a hug. Over time they came to expect

Life is full of opportunity. At the beginning of every year, I find myself - in line with cultural tradition - making goals for what I will do in that New Year. As I look back on past goals made in previous New Year’s settings, I see a lot of ambition, but not as much follow-through. I see too many opportunities to be able to pursue them all, and too many uses of time that distracted me from my other goals. Each year, I accomplish a few things, half of some things, or a littl

Do you have a bucket list?  There are so many wonders in the world to read about and explore. I would say most, if not all of us desire experiences that enrich us and bring learning and joy. So, what is stopping you from doing some of these things? If you are like me, you may simply need to start writing these things down. I have thought of several things, but I have never actually made a list. It’s hard to accomplish a task or a goal if we never write it down. Writing it dow

Does the media and big tech intentionally push negative content? I know that I believed so, as getting on Facebook or watching the news always left me feeling negative or down. At some point though, I began to wonder if it was them or if I had something to do with it. I decided to try an experiment where I would only interact with positive content on Facebook. I decided to like only posts that were positive or uplifting, comment on positive statuses, or click on or read posit

There are 749,404 restaurants in the United States and with that comes an astounding variety of foods available to us. There are also countless types of diets that anyone can choose from. Our dietary choices are often affected by ethical and religious beliefs, medical needs, or a desire to control weight. From a young age, we learn, and over time better understand that our physical growth and health require that we provide our bodies with proper nutrition. We need a regular i

A significant amount of my prayers have gone unanswered. I’ve always believed and hoped that God answers prayers. I have prayed many times in my life and have received answers and guidance at various times. However, I have also prayed at other times, and have not received the items I earnestly sought for. Many of my prayers have simply resulted in silence and more questions and doubts rather than in guidance, inspiration, or clarity. I don’t imagine that my experience is much

Human vision, while amazing, only picks up a small subset of the complete light spectrum. I have often wondered what we might be missing out on seeing or understanding with how much of the spectrum we do not process. Of course, we have machines that can process various portions of the light spectrum, but are they capturing everything? Science theorizes too about ‘dark matter’ that we cannot see but that exists. Are there more things to see than light alone would reveal to us?

Our names are an incredibly important part of our identity. They carry personal, cultural, familial, and historical significance. They also give us a sense of who we are and the community we each live in. A person’s name is the greatest connection to their own identity. Some might say it is the most important word in the world. Our names are a way to get someone’s attention, it’s a sign of courtesy and a way to recognize them. Where does your name come from? Along with our gi

“I’m almost there. Less than 500 meters now.” Jill gritted her teeth as fatigue coursed through her body. The triathlon is a grueling race and it was taking its toll on Jill. Her knees felt weak, her lungs were burning, and her feet screamed for relief. Relying on her years of sacrifice and training, she searched for the resolve she needed to maintain the slim margin she held over the other contenders. Jill could see the stadium now. Her energy was nearly spent, but the thoug

Remember when you were a child learning to ride a bike? You were so excited to get on that bike, whether it was new or used it didn’t matter, and you were finally going to be able to ride with your siblings or friends. You were a little unsteady at first, but then you began to understand how to balance and seem to be getting the hang of it! Suddenly, you find yourself on the ground with a scraped knee or hands. Instantly you seek help - someone to gently remove the debris, wi

Becky was given an opportunity to go with a youth group to hike and camp for several days. She was not excited about it and had early on decided she was not going to go. Many of her family members and friends encouraged her to go; expressing their love, support, and even their need for her to be there. She was grateful to hear that people liked her and wanted her to come, but she expressed that nothing was going to change her mind.   As the day of the trip drew closer, her de