A Beacon of Light

“The way you spend Christmas is far more important than how much you spend.” Henry David Thoreau So here we are,… Christmas Eve 2025. Again this year, we’ll be gathering with Kathy’s family at the home of her youngest sister, Chrissy, and her husband, Brian. They have a beautiful South San José home which can accommodate a large and…

“We have an innate propensity to get ourselves noticed, and noticed favorably, by our kind.” William James Recently, I’ve been reading, and very much enjoying, What Matters Most and Why, by Jim Manney. His book seeks to unearth insights on a number of life questions: How can I find meaning and joy? What’s valuable in life? What’s…

With only three days remaining until Christmas, I am happy to say that the Christmas cards have been sent, the laundry is done, and any Christmas shopping I was planning to do has been completed. So what’s a person to do when all the stress-inducing tasks leading up to the holidays have been taken care…

“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.” Art Buchwald Time is a strange phenomenon. At certain points in my life, it has dragged on at an agonizingly slow pace. At other times, it has passed much too quickly. A few examples might help to illustrate this. I’m pretty sure…

“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…