A Beacon of Light

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ~ Lau Tzu There’s something about the last day of each calendar year that brings up a feeling of melancholy in me. It’s not so much a gloomy state of mind. It’s more of an experience of sober pensiveness or contemplation. On this day each year, before…

“Forget what hurt you in the past, but never forget what it taught you.” ~Author Unknown In the late 1970’s, I was teaching at Bellarmine College Prep in San José. One of my colleagues shared the following humorous, yet thought-provoking story with me: A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was bitter cold,…

“A child that is being abused by its parents doesn’t stop loving its parents. It stops loving itself.”  ~ Shahidi Arabi  “GODDAMMIT! DON’T DO THAT!” The loud, shrill voice of a woman in the parking structure at Westfield Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara this evening was one I could not ignore. So much has…

“What you do makes a difference.”  ~ Jane Goodall After loading the basket of groceries into the back of her SUV, a young mother opened the side door and gently place her toddler securely into a car seat. She then closed the door, returned to the back of the vehicle, and, with an expression of…

“We must prepare for an end.”  Gwynn Scheltema In a recent article, award-winning writer and poet Gwynn Sheltema wrote, “Falling leaves symbolize change and even though they are brilliant in color, we know what is soon to follow — winter.”  Today marks the beginning of the final week of autumn 2024. The official start to…

“If you are in a bad mood, go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood, go for another walk.” ~ Hippocrates It’s no secret that walking is good for us. The health benefits of engaging in a regular walking routine have been well-documented: • Effective weight management  • Increased metabolism  •…

“What fire could ever equal the sunshine of a winter’s day?”  ~ Henry David Thoreau Despite the fact that the official start of winter (December 21st) is still more than two weeks away, we’re in the month of December now. Most of us, I would think, consider December to be part of the season of…

“The graveyards are full of indispensable men.” ~ Charles de Gaulle It’s so easy for us to believe that we are indispensable. It’s so easy to convince ourselves that if we were to leave an organization, the void would be devastating to those left behind. In reality, life doesn’t often work this way. Such an…

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”  ~ Karl Barth Thanksgiving is over. There’s no more leftover turkey. Out-of-town visitors are on their way back home. Thanksgiving Day 2024 is now a part of history. Giving thanks, however, goes on. Giving thanks is not a once-a-year activity. Gratitude is a mindset, one which enables us…