A Beacon of Light

“Coffee smells likefreshly ground heaven.”Jessi Lane Adams I don’t drink coffee. I don’t like the taste. I do, however, love the smell of freshly-brewed coffee. It reminds me of my childhood when, after a number of hospital stays, my paternal grandmother would stay in our home for a few weeks before returning to her own…

One Last Touch Mom was sleeping in her bed,we knew the end was near.Although she knew that death would come,she had no cause for fear. For Mom had lived a wondrous life,with joys and heartaches both.It seems each challenge raised the barpromoting faith and growth. As she progressed throughout the years,her courage slowly grew.She stood…

“The family is thefirst essential cellof human society.”  Pope John XXIII There’s a clever little sign I’ve seen in a number of novelty stores through the years. It reads:  Grandma & Grandpa’s House:Where cousins become best friends. I’ve always appreciated that quote. It certainly makes me think back to the 1960s when my siblings and…

I believe that there are times when a blog post should be like a good Sunday homily: the fewer words, the better. For this reason, I’m going to let the message of this image speak for itself. Have a great day!

Throughout my lifetime, I have had the pleasure of meeting people — lots of people. I’ve met them in my neighborhood, in schools I’ve attended, in workplaces, at parties or other social events, in coffee shops, in my travels around the world, and in my day-to-day comings and goings. I cannot pinpoint exactly when it…

“The churning, churning,churning of the wavesagainst the shore revives me— makes me whole.” Nallén (poet) I’m sitting at an umbrella-covered table on the patio deck of a hotel in Santa Cruz, California. The air temperature is in the mid-70º range, with a gentle breeze. The view… ah, the view… is a peek at a local beach,…

Some of you might recall that in April I participated in a Walk for Life in San Francisco to raise funds for cancer research, specifically Multiple Myeloma. I have two close friends who have been dealing with this specific type of cancer. One friend, Bill Roche, who was one of my classmates at Saint Ignatius…

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —I took the one less traveled by,and that has made all the difference”Robert Frost It was the spring of 1979. I would be graduating from Santa Clara University in June. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in teaching. I had already experienced a one-year…

“What good is thewarmth of summer,without the cold of winterto give it sweetness?”John Steinbeck Ah, yes… warm August nights. How I dream of them in February when they are just a faint memory of summers past. At this point in my life, enjoying such an evening here at home, sitting outside on the patio enjoying…

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,but the parent ofall the others.”Marcus Tullius Cicero When I began writing about gratitude in December 2006, I had no idea that the concept would become a popular topic in the years to come. I also didn’t realize that I had so much to learn about gratitude in…