A Beacon of Light

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” ~ Marcus Aurelius Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American writer, philosopher, and poet, observed, “We sometimes meet an original, who, if manners had not existed, would have invented them.” I am grateful to know such a person. In fact, I’ve known him…

“The paradox of identity is that it is always in the making and never complete.” ~ Amartya Sen It was a Tuesday evening in 1982. I was sitting in what was known as the “small hall” at Saint Christopher Church in San José. Thirty-five or so members of the high school youth group were gathered…

“To realize that you do not understand is a virtue.”  ~ Lao Tzu I have had extensive experience in life with being asked questions to which I did not know the answer. This happened quite regularly in the classroom during my elementary and high school years. Why did my teachers have to ask me to…

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” ~ John A. Shedd To read the title of today’s blog post, one might think I’m writing about the conclusion of last night’s San Francisco Giants’ home opener against the San Diego Padres. With the score tied at 2-2, Thairo Estrada’s…

“All space is sacred space when you remember that God is within you.” ~ Christiane Northrup Life can be complicated. We all experience this challenge from time to time, some more frequently than others. Occasionally, the words of the Southwest Airlines television commercial seem to call out to us: Wanna get away? Yes, that would…

“One of the deep secrets in life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.” ~ Lewis Carroll When I think back on all the life lessons I’ve learned, and all the wisdom I’ve gained, throughout my lifetime, this Lewis Carroll (no relation) quote just might be the most…

“True kindness expects nothing in return.” ~ Roy T. Bennett I’m sitting on the deck of my sister’s home in San Mateo as I write this. It’s comfortably warm and partly sunny. Clouds are slowly moving in with rain predicted for later tonight. The sound of the traffic on the street below is tolerable. The…

“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.” ~ Mark Twain In their popular 1976 hit song Fly Like an Eagle, the Steve Miller Band sang about the passage of time: “Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’ slippin’ into the future.” Without a doubt, it…

“In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.” ~ Okakura Kakuzo For the past month or so, Kathy and I have been visiting the downtown Campbell Farmers Market on Sunday mornings. Along with a variety of fresh fruit, health drinks, and other organic products, Kathy has also purchased several plants and bunches of colorful…

“March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” ~ English Proverb It appears that the words of this well-known proverb, the origin of which is uncertain, will prove to be accurate once again this year. It was raining with the high temperature in the mid-50ºs on Friday, March 1st. Today, on…