A Beacon of Light

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  • 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.

    I live in San José, California. My wife, Kathy, and I have three adult sons and five precious grandchildren. I have much for which to be grateful.

    I can be reached via email at kmc43sjc@gmail.com

    My books are available for purchase online from Amazon. I also have copies of some of these titles at my home for those who would like to buy them directly from me.

    A Moment’s Pause for Gratitude  (2017)

    Cherries in the Summer  (2021)

    The Ambassador of 38th Avenue  (2022)

    Dad: 12 Questions…  (2023)

    A Focus on Gratitude  (2024)

    Through the Lens of Gratitude  (2024)

    A Bahamian Odyssey (2026)

  • 08.04.2026

    “Use a picture.
    It’s worth a
    thousand words.”
    Arthur Brisbane

    I make an effort to keep my blog posts to about 500 words. For this reason, I’m going to let this image speak for itself. I’d love to know what you think. You can respond to: kmc43sjc@gmail.com.

  • Summer Fun

    Every summer 
    has a story.

    Novelist Henry James wrote, “Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” I am fairly certain that most people would agree with him. I, for one, most definitely do.

    While I often write about my favorite season of the year being autumn, throughout my life, I have taken great pleasure in enjoying the days of summer. In my childhood, summers meant spending my time at Silver Tree Day Camp in San Francisco, or a week or so with my family at Redwood Rest Resort in Boulder Creek or Pine Grove Resort in Lake County. As I mentioned in a recent post, I spent the summer of 1971 in Jamaica,… and I had the opportunity to spend the summer of 1974 running a summer day camp in The Bahamas. Summers have always been very good to me.

    There was one summer, however, when I didn’t have any plans. It was the summer of 1976. I knew that I would be returning to San José to live and teach at Bellarmine College Preparatory in the fall, and continue my education at Santa Clara University, but I had not made any plans for how I would spend the summer of our country’s bicentennial. Somehow, and I don’t recall exactly how it happened, I ended up volunteering at the St. Paul Parish “Summer of Love” recreation program.

    My Dad had attended St. Paul School in his childhood. He had lived at 25th & Sanchez Streets, not far from the church and school. In that summer of ’76, the parish offered a recreation program for children ages 7-12. Since I’d had extensive experience working at Silver Tree Day Camp as a junior counselor, I was confident in my ability to be a contributing member of the volunteer staff at the Summer of Love. 

    Each day, the kids who attended the program had a variety of activities from which to choose — arts and crafts, table games, kickball, relay races, basketball, soccer, bingo, talent shows, and more. The staff, which included two sisters from the convent along with about a dozen high school and college students, was outstanding. I recall there being a good vibe among those who worked each day with the kids. 

    On my walk through Noe Valley last Friday, I passed the St. Paul schoolyard on 29th Street. I paused to look through the fence into the empty yard. Sadly, it appears that the summer recreation program is a thing of the past. This disappoints me, especially knowing that in recent years, the school building has been rebuilt and now includes a state of the art gymnasium. What a perfect venue for a thriving summer program for kids. 

    It’s been fifty years since I participated in the Summer of Love program, yet I still have fond memories of my experiences there, and of some of the people with whom I worked.

    Yes, every summer has a story. The summer of 1976 is yet another gift for which to be grateful in my life.

  • Good Morning!

    Have a great day!

  • Remembering Dad

    29th Street Hill

    “Death ends
    a life, not a
    relationship.”
    Mitch Albom

    Yesterday, July 31st, was the feast day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. It was also the eighteenth anniversary of my Dad’s unexpected death. Again this year, I spent a good part of the day walking in The City. I began my walk at the Glen Park Bart Station — Diamond & Bosworth Streets. 

    After a delicious oatmeal raisin cookie and cup of hot chocolate at the Bello Coffee Shop on Diamond, I began my trek up Diamond Street to the top of Diamond Heights. From there, I stayed on Diamond until I got to 29th Street. This is where I stopped to take the photo above. As challenging as it was walking up the steep Diamond Street hill from Glen Park to Diamond Heights, the walk down 29th Street was much more taxing on my knees. I was relieved to get to the bottom of the hill at Sanchez Street.

    Dad grew up on Sanchez Street at 25th. He attended Saint Paul Elementary School at 29th & Church before beginning his high school years at Saint Ignatius High School on Stanyan Street in September 1939. 

    After a brief walk through the Noe Valley neighborhood, I stopped for a light lunch at Martha & Brothers Coffee Shop at the corner of Duncan & Church Streets. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the yogurt parfait, which was served with granola and fresh fruit. It was the perfect lunch for a comfortably warm and sunny summer day in San Francisco.

    I ended my day back out in the Sunset District, where I had parked my car outside Java Beach Café at 45th & Sloat earlier in the morning. Of course, I had to walk up 38th Avenue from Vicente to Wawona Streets to see our old family home. Serendipitously, just as I got to the house, the current resident of 2650 – 38th Avenue arrived home. I introduced myself to him and asked if I could go into the garage for a moment. I explained to him about Dad’s death eighteen years ago and how he had fallen down the back stairs, sustaining a traumatic head injury. He invited me in.

    Mom moved out of this home fourteen years ago today. Still, there is a plethora of evidence to prove that we once lived there, including “Kevin was here 6/4/64” written in chalk on the garage wall. I stood for just a moment at the bottom of the staircase where Dad fell. I’m not sure why I felt the need to do this, but I did… and I’m glad I did. I walked out the garage door and up 38th Avenue with a tremendous sense of inner peace.

    I’m grateful that the weather for today’s outing was so agreeable. It was sunny, comfortably warm, and a bit breezy, but quite pleasant throughout the day.

    Let the month of August begin!  —  A M D G 

    2650 – 38th Avenue

  • Jamaica 1971

    “The spirit is  
    strong and our  
    culture is vibrant.”       
    Edmund Bartlett  
    Jamaica Tourism Minister

    Jamaica, with its vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, white sand beaches, and warm hospitality, has captured the hearts of people from around the world. Many famous personalities have been touched by Jamaica in their lives, whether through its music, culture, or natural beauty. There are many celebrities who have been inspired by or have had a connection to Jamaica, which has influenced their lives and work. From authors and musicians to athletes and politicians, Jamaica’s influence can be seen in their work, their lives, and their hearts. 

    Though I am anything but a celebrity, my life, too, has been touched by Jamaica. On this date fifty-five years ago, my Saint Ignatius classmate, Dan Pasini, and I were traveling across the island teaching and learning liturgical music for young people with Father Russ Roide, S.J. The experience, more than I realized at the time, was life-changing for me.

    I was only seventeen years old in the summer of 1971. While I was part of the music ministry group at S.I., I was not in a leadership role. I didn’t play an instrument. All I had to contribute to the group was my voice and my desire to participate in school liturgies. It came as a shock to me to receive the invitation by Fr. Roide to join him in Jamaica.

    There’s a very good chance that I was not one of the first to be invited. Surely, Russ must have asked some of the other members of the group who had more to offer in terms of their ability to play a musical instrument. Even if I did end up going by default, I enjoyed the experience immensely. Dan and I had a great time immersing ourselves in Jamaican culture, eating Jamaican food, and even going to the beach in Montego Bay with Beverly Chin and Kathy Kafati, two local Jamaican girls who stopped by the bishop’s residence to invite us to join them. Yes, it was quite an experience.

    Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Montego Bay was our home base for the summer. We stayed in guest rooms in the residence of Bishop Edgarton Clarke, bishop of Montego Bay. Our travels took us to a variety of places across the island — Mandeville, Seaford Town, Kingston, and several of the tourist areas along the island’s north coast. One of the highlights of the trip was a brief stop at Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios.

    55 years ago today, on July 31, 1971, Russ, Dan, and I attended an event at Campion College, one of the two Jesuit schools in Kingston. It was a celebration of the feast day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). It was there that I met Father Elias Achatz, a Benedictine monk from Nassau in The Bahamas. In the spring of 1974, he invited Dan and me to spend the 1974-75 academic year teaching at Saint Augustine’s College in Nassau. We both accepted his invitation. Talk about life-changing experiences!

    As a result of that one year teaching at SAC, I committed my life to teaching. The fulfillment I experienced teaching in Nassau motivated me to continue my education and devote 43 years of my life to catholic education.

    Jamaican novelist Nicole Dennis-Benn wrote, “Jamaica is more than just sun, sea, and sand. It’s a place where stories are born, where the whisper of the past mingles with the rhythm of the present.” 

    A story was born in July 1971, and I’ve been living it ever since.

    A M D G

  • Express It!

    “Showing gratitude 
    is one of the 
    simplest, yet most 
    powerful things 
    humans can do 
    for each other.” 
    Randy Pausch

    It’s really quite simple: If you feel grateful, express your gratitude. William Arthur Ward explains this best with these words of wisdom: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” Why would we ever do this?

    Authentic gratitude is more than simply saying “thank you.” It arises from genuine appreciation and it transforms both the giver and receiver. By contrast, insincere gratitude is often motivated by obligation or self-interest. This form of gratitude falls far short of leaving a positive, long-lasting impact.

    Authentic gratitude begins as an internal attitude. This feeling of gratefulness then becomes an outward expression — verbal or written recognition of the goodness received from another person, circumstance, or life itself. Authentic gratitude is both genuine and spontaneous. It is rooted in humility and appreciation, and expressed without any expectation of getting something in return.

    When gratitude is insincere, it is motivated by obligation, social pressure, manipulation, or personal gain, rather than genuine appreciation. Words of insincere gratitude are spoken, but they lack heartfelt meaning.

    The difference between these two forms of gratitude is significant. Authentic gratitude builds trust, respect, and a deeper connection with the person to whom we express our gratefulness. Insincere gratitude, however, often creates distance, suspicion, and disappointment. Authentic gratitude cultivates humility, empathy, and resilience. Superficial gratitude reinforces one’s self-centeredness and sense of entitlement.

    Authentic gratitude is not merely spoken. It is lived out every day through our attitudes, actions, and relationships. It is incumbent upon each of us to maintain a constant awareness of the difference between these two forms of gratitude.

  • My Brother

    “Siblings are like  
    branches of a tree.  
    We grow in  
    different directions,  
    yet our roots  
    remain as one.”      
    Author Unknown

    I had an absolutely amazing day yesterday. My brother, Tom, is in town visiting from his home in Los Angeles where he teaches at Loyola-Marymount University. Since he is a Jesuit priest, he stays at the Jesuit residence at Santa Clara University when he visits the South Bay. I picked him up yesterday morning at 6:15 and we drove to San Francisco.

    We began with breakfast at Java Beach Café on Judah Street. From there, we walked the short stretch of Sunset Dunes Park from Judah Street to Lincoln Way, the location of the southwest corner of Golden Gate Park. The park is approximately 3.5 miles long from The Great Highway on the west end to Stanyan Street on the east. Our plan for the day was to walk the length of the park, wander around the Haight-Ashbury District for a bit, then return to the west end of the park. 

    The photo below (which includes the windmill) was taken a little after 8:00. Then we began walking. The second photo below (Ocean Beach) was taken around 1:00, when we arrived back at the beach. In all, we logged more than 25,000 steps — 12 miles. Not bad for two old guys!

    The highlight of the day was the conversation we enjoyed along the way. Much of what we discussed had to do with childhood memories of various sites in the park. Of course, we also talked about family, friends, growing up, and life in general. I could not have asked for a better day.

    Bryan Pulsifer, a Canadian author, said this about brotherhood: “Once a brother, always a brother, no matter the distance, no matter the difference, and no matter the issue.”

    I have always been, and will always be, grateful to have Tom as my brother. His positive influence in my life has been significant.

    8:10 a.m.
    1:00 p.m.

  • 07.28.2026

  • Back Home

    “Having traveled  
    initially to get away,  
    ultimately we travel  
    to come home.”       
    Mary-Lou Weisman

    “All good things must come to an end” is a proverb that dates back to the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 1300s. The saying reminds us that nothing lasts forever — that all things and situations are temporary. It is often used to express regret when something that brings us happiness comes to an end. The expression also urges us to consciously savor the good times in life, with an awareness that such happiness may not exist the following day.

    I had this sense of awareness on Saturday as Kathy and I drove from Eureka to Willits. Driving through the redwoods, I was fully aware of what we were experiencing, knowing that with each passing mile, we were moving away from the grandeur of the redwood forests toward the chaos and congestion that awaited us in San José. 

    I continued to embrace that awareness yesterday on the final leg of our brief journey. After a week of brilliant sunshine, we awoke to a blanket of fog resting upon the tops of the redwoods in Willits. After breakfast, we hit the road. Again, we were treated to spectacular scenery along the way.

    When we got to Cloverdale, we decided to stop for lunch. We happened upon Pick’s Roadside Restaurant, which claims to have the best burgers in Sonoma County. We were impressed. The food was superb and the service was excellent.

    After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, which offers a very different kind of spectacular beauty, we stopped at Java Beach Café for a visit with friends and a scoop of ice cream. After enjoying about an hour of conversation, we began the final leg of our journey — one which took us over 700 miles from start (last Saturday) to finish.

    So yes, after traveling to get away, we are grateful to be home. As much as I enjoy being on the road, there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep in one’s own bed.

  • Hydrangea Inn

    “A bed and breakfast  
    is a home  
    away from home,   
    with better breakfast  
    and fewer chores.” 
    Unknown

    Life is consistently full of surprises. When Kathy and I arrived in Eureka last Monday, we were pleasantly surprised to see our accommodations for the week. The Hydrangea Inn, a bed and breakfast owned and operated by Renée Chappelle, far exceeded our expectations for lodging. For five days and nights, it became our home.

    While there are rooms in the main building for visitors, we opted to stay in the Redwood Bungalow, a cozy one-bedroom unit with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom adjacent to the garage in the backyard of the main house. The place was clean and comfortable. It also provided a level of privacy most bed and breakfast venues can’t offer.

    Each day, a home-cooked breakfast was prepared by Renée. It included a hot main dish such as a frittata or quiche. There was also a bowl of chopped fresh fruit and a cup of yogurt. A container of orange juice, which we found in the refrigerator upon our arrival, was refilled every day. There were also appliances and supplies to make coffee, tea, or hot chocolate each day.

    When we arrived back at our room each evening, we were greeted with warm homemade cookies. We most definitely did not go hungry!

    The Hydrangea Inn is centrally located in Eureka, in close proximity to the Old Town District, the Carson Mansion, Sequoia Park Zoo, the Clarke Historical Museum, and the Eureka waterfront trail. For our purposes, it was a convenient eight-minute drive from Kathy’s brother John’s home in the Cutten neighborhood in southeast Eureka. Getting around town was not a problem at all. 

    As much as we enjoyed the Hydrangea Inn itself, getting to know Renée was one of the highlights of our trip. She truly is a Renaissance woman, quite accomplished in a variety of careers and totally content to spend her retirement years hosting visitors to Eureka in her beautiful home. Kathy and I honestly feel like we’re returning to San José with a new friend. 

    Eleanor Roosevelt once quipped, “True hospitality consists of giving the best of yourself to your guests.” This is precisely what Renée does each day at the Hydrangea Inn. Kathy and I are incredibly grateful for the experience.

    We are heading back home today.