A Beacon of Light

“We’ll never be those kids again.” Frank Ocean Reading often invites us to consider things we might otherwise never think about. I came across such a challenge recently in a book titled The Story of My Life: “Imagine your childhood bedroom. List ten objects you remember from the room, and describe what they meant to you.” I…

“You can tell a lot about  a person by the way they  handle three things:  a rainy day, lost luggage, and  tangled Christmas tree lights.”Maya Angelou Rainy days? No problem. Lost luggage? Gratefully, I’ve never had that experience. Tangled Christmas tree light? Grrrrr!!! (This is precisely why we purchased a Christmas tree with the lights…

“Kindness and courtesy are at the root of a positive customer service experience.” Shep Hyken I heard the name Gary Ward long before I met him. He was the United Parcel Service (UPS) driver who, for many years, delivered packages to my mother’s home on 38th Avenue in San Francisco. Mom would often speak fondly of him, sharing…

“Almost everything  will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” Anne Lamott I published my first book, A Moment’s Pause for Gratitude, in October 2017. Since that time, I have come to the realization that, while such a pause in our day has tremendous value, there are other reason for us to…

“This Christmas, let kindness be your guiding light.” Joyce Meyer It’s a choice. Despite the hectic pace and high-energy atmosphere of the world around us in the days leading up to Christmas, we do have the option to intentionally choose serenity over chaos. It may not be easy, but it is most definitely an option for us. Christmas…

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”William Arthur Ward I met two young men this afternoon at Java Beach Café on Sloat Boulevard in San Francisco. One of them was sporting a Saint Ignatius Rowing Club t-shirt. The two Saint Ignatius College Preparatory seniors were sitting at a table discussing…

“One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are.”  Edith Wharton I’m sort of an extrovert. Well, to be more accurate, I can be an off-the-chart extrovert in some situations. I am energized by meeting people. For some strange reason, I am quite comfortable striking up a conversation…

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” Mark Twain As the clock wound down on 2025, we knew it was now or never — a 50th Anniversary trip to Nassau, in The Bahamas. Dan Pasini and I taught at Saint…