It’s a trip I began planning a few months ago. Taking advantage of the break between my academic quarters, I’m spending ten days in South Dakota. It’s been nearly twenty years since I’ve visited the grassy prairie, the rugged Badlands, and the grand monument to Crazy Horse, the Lakota warrior.… Read More »An Unexpected Loss
Friendship. The term is used frequently and conveys a myriad of meanings. On social media, we “friend” others including people we’ve never met. We refer to people we haven’t seen in years, perhaps since school days, as “friends” yet other than sharing a moment in time, we have little in… Read More »The Way of Jesus in Friendship and Grief
It’s the middle of February. A couple of weeks ago, on February 2, a welcome messenger delivered good news: Punxsutawney Phil, a weather predicting groundhog, emerged from his burrow and didn’t see his shadow. This legendary sign is a prediction that there will be an early spring This past week,… Read More »Faith and Hope that There Will Be Spring
As I waited for the coffee to brew this morning, I stood at the back door of my kitchen looking at the trees of the wood behind my home. While many leaves remain green, some branches were fiery red, some yellow, and a few were even brown. I opened the… Read More »Love Is Stronger than Death
I was twelve years old. I was old enough to know what was happening. I have some clear memories of the events that transpired. It was awkward and I wasn’t sure how to take in everything around me. The events of that week were not like the day to day… Read More »Hidden Losses
I met her at her home a few evenings ago. As we visited, she spoke about him frequently. She also referred to things around the house that she has now been doing – things he used to do – which she hadn’t done for years: yard work, home repairs, and… Read More »Clumping: How Much Can One Person Bear?
Over the weeks following Easter, Gospel stories recounting the appearances of the risen Christ to the disciples are read in Christian churches. Of these stories, perhaps the most striking to me recounts two people and their encounter with Christ on Easter evening. This story is commonly called, “The Road to… Read More »A Warm Spring of Refreshment after Tragedy
As I scroll through the postings made by friends on Facebook, I see familiar kinds of postings — status updates, as they are called. One may comment about a parent’s death, another on the passing of a cousin, another on the anniversary of a loved one’s home-going. While people often… Read More »The Tapestry of Life and Death