A Beacon of Light

“What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winterto give it sweetness.”John Steinbeck What an amazing difference six months can make. In July 2025, Kathy and I enjoyed a pleasant visit to Bristol, Rhode Island to spend a few days with our friends, Steve and Karen Aveson. Steve and I were high school classmates.…

“Above all, do not lose  your desire to walk.”   Soren Kierkegaard  What was I thinking? (How strange that I’ve been asking myself this question for decades.) I ventured out on a walk yesterday afternoon. I left home around 4:00 and returned about 5:30. I had no particular destination in mind. I just walked aimlessly through…

“There is no normal life that is free of pain.” Fred Rogers The reconstructive knee surgery was successful. Brendan is home now, experiencing the all-too-familiar challenge of limited mobility. This, too, shall pass. It won’t be long before he’s back out on the basketball court. Brendan’s positive mindset does not make him immune from the disappointment of having his…

“Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.” Kobe Bryant Kobe Bryant’s quote reminds us that we have the ability to reframe adversity as opportunity. We have the opportunity to embrace fear and dedicate ourselves to a relentless work ethic to overcome obstacles. Wise words from one of the best professional basketball players…

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one  less traveled by…” Robert Frost The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost, was first published in The Atlantic Monthly magazine in August 1915. Over the next 110 years, it would become one of the most inspirational and oft-quoted poems in American literature. Two roads…

“Do not let your  Sundays be taken  from you.”   Albert Schweitzer Today is the second Sunday of 2026. As I mentioned last week, one of my goals for the new year is to reclaim Sundays as a sacred day. There are a variety of definitions for the word “sacred” in the dictionary: 1. Devoted or…

“Success isn’t about money or fame. Success is living a life you feel proud of.” Jonathan Huie My focus on gratitude was put to a test on Thursday afternoon. I found myself at a park in Cupertino with two of my grandkids. We chose the park based on its proximity to my granddaughter’s school. When we pulled into the…

“Grandchildren don’t make a man feel old; it’s the knowledge  that he’s married  to a grandmother.” G. Norman Collie It has been said that something magical happens when parents turn into grandparents. It’s absolutely true. I have been a “Papa” for more than eleven years now. As of this writing, I have five grandkids, ages 11, 8, 5,…