A Beacon of Light

“A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.” W. H. Auden The clock is tick, tick, ticking….Time is running outon Poetry Month ’24.No time to mill about.I need to think of something nowthat’s thoughtful and worthwhile.The month is almost over, somy thoughts I must compile. Tomorrow is the…

“One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grandbaby around the finger of a grandfather.” Joy Hargrove He’s happy. He smiles. He sleeps well. For the most part, he’s quite content. He is loved more than he will ever know. He’s Henry, our fifth grandchild. Henry is three months old. He enjoys…

“The soul is healed by being with children.” Fyodor Dostoevsky It was a short, simple afternoon excursion. When she finished her nap yesterday, I took Scarlett on her first bus ride — a 1.4 mile journey on the #25 VTA bus to the Starbucks store on Winchester Boulevard in San José. As I’d expected, she…

“Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.”  Martin Luther King, Jr. Imagine spending a relaxing Wednesday afternoon at the ball park watching the San Francisco Giants play the New York Mets. Imagine, prior to the game, enjoying a delicious lunch with a loved one at Frankie’s Java House, just a short…

“When you wake up in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”  ~ Marcus Aurelius When is the last time you were consciously grateful for the fact that you woke up to a new day? For most, I would think, this…

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” Audrey Hepburn It’s always easier to take a test when you are the one who created it. So again today, I will address the question of the day (for April 23rd) posed in my book, A Focus on Gratitude. I wrote the question, and…

“It is health that is real wealth, not pieces of gold and silver.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi In my recently-published book, A Focus on Gratitude, I provide one question on the topic of gratitude for each day of the calendar year. The question posed for today is: “For what are you grateful today that you did…

“Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in times of sorrow.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson On April 22, 2022, Kathy’s mother, Norma Hamm, got the call that her table was ready. She closed her eyes and moved on to take her place at the table of the Lord with her beloved…

“In the silence of writing, we discover the power of our own voice.” ~ Nicole Brown For many years, I’ve had a dream — to take some time away for a writing retreat. I am blessed to have an office in my home where I do much of my writing. I cherish this space and…

“A father’s love still travels on after he’s gone. A treasure hidden in the hearts of his children.” ~ John Green The welcome mat outside the front door of Kathy’s childhood home in Sunnyvale said it all: One nice person and one old grouch live here. Of course, this was the source of much laughter…