A Beacon of Light

“There is no joy in possession without sharing.”  Erasmus I am not overly fond of the words “they” and “them.” These seemingly harmless words have the potential to convey, in some ways, that “I” am not a part of “them,” or that “they” are not a part of “us.” Of course, these words are essential…

“You can’t understand a city without using its public transportation system.”  Erol Ozan Growing up in San Francisco, I relied on public transportation quite regularly. In my elementary school years, I would take the #72 bus from the corner of Sunset Boulevard & Vicente Street to 5th and Market to visit my Dad at his…

“Woke up this morning in the city of Angels.”  Thirty Seconds to Mars Band Although I never saw the 1987 movie, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, starring Steve Martin and John Candy, there’s something catchy about the title. I thought about it this morning as I considered what to write about in my blog today. When…

“Health is not valued until sickness comes.”  Thomas Fuller This past Wednesday, I drove over to Kaiser Medical Center in Santa Clara for my annual physical examination. My primary care physician, Dr. Pratheepa Singh, is conscientious, caring, and competent. I am blessed to have had her as my doctor for the past several years. I…

“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well.”  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To prepare for writing today’s blog post, I turned to the treasured words of the venerable Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the topic of work. Today’s writing is a follow-up to my May 20, 2025 post. Dr. King understood and promoted…

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy donuts, and that’s basically the same thing.”  Author Unknown Growing up in San Francisco in the 1960s, Stemples Bakery on Bush Street was the place to go for the best donuts in The City. When I moved to the South Bay in 1972, it didn’t take long…

“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” Oscar Wilde Saints and sinners… ah, yes. It’s difficult to know who’s who without a game program — and even then, we just never know for sure. Today, June 3rd, is the Feast of Saint Kevin. Born in Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland, Kevin is…

“Dessert is not a meal, it’s a moment.”  Ahn Luu It’s no secret to anyone who knows me well that I love desserts. Whether it be a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a hot fudge sundae, a serving of Crème Brûlée, or a slice of white cake with chocolate frosting and raspberry filling, a good…

“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.”  Al Bernstein In his book, The Winter of Our Discontent, author John Steinbeck wrote, “In early June, the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.” Well, early June has arrived once again. Steinbeck’s words are as timely today as…