A Beacon of Light

“It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.”  Brené Brown In his book, Live Life from the Heart, Mark Black writes about the importance of relaxation. He cites that rather than being an indicator of laziness, relaxation can actually be both beneficial…

“They say that time heals all wounds, but we never live long enough to test that theory.”  José Saramago  Sixteen years ago tonight, I gathered with my mother and siblings at San Francisco General Hospital to say goodbye to my father. Earlier that evening, Dad had taken a fall down the back steps of our…

“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” Albert Einstein I began my elementary education as a first grader at Saint Gabriel School in San Francisco in September 1960. I had attended kindergarten at our local public school, as Saint Gabriel did not offer a kindergarten program at that time. My brother, Tom was in…

We’ve all encountered the icon — the spinning wheel notifying us that what we’d like to be doing on our computer cannot be done quite yet. In a world where we’ve come to expect technology to be instantly available to us, this can be a frustrating experience. According to PC Magazine, “In streaming audio or…

“A wound does not heal by being told to heal.”  Joe Primo Dealing with wounds from our past seems to be a universal experience. Despite the fact that each person’s life is a gift, life inevitably involves challenges, suffering, loss, and grief. Coping with these realities can, for some, be overwhelming. To make matters worse,…

“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.”  Steve Jobs When I was in my twenties, I was confident that I had a long life ahead of me. I was healthy, active, and optimistic. I played a lot of basketball and tennis, rode my ten-speed bike for both transportation and…

“Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ on the river.”  Creedence Clearwater Revival Kathy and I woke up this morning in The Dalles, Oregon aboard the riverboat American West. The boat departed The Dalles at 8:45 A.M. for an all-day cruise up the Columbia River. We will dock just after midnight in Richland, Washington where, tomorrow, we will celebrate…

“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.”  Dalai Lama There was a time when I loved to travel. During my early childhood, my family used to spend a week or so each summer vacationing in Boulder Creek, then, in later years, on Cobb Mountain in Lake County. We also took two road trips…

My name is Kevin Carroll. I was born and raised in San Francisco, California, where I attended Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. I am a graduate of both Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco. Following a 40-year career in teaching and pastoral ministry, I launched a new career as a writer and speaker.…

“Pray as if God will take care of all; act as if all is up to you.”  Ignatius of Loyola Forty years ago today, my brother, Tom, was ordained to the Jesuit priesthood at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco. It goes without saying that he was strongly influenced by his experience as a student…