When people visit my home, they often comment about the plants growing in the various rooms of the house. They compliment me about how healthy the plants look and how well I must care for them. I accept the compliment but rarely do I share my secret to caring for house… Read More »Caring for House Plants and Spiritual Practice
Is it possible to get over our racism? As the events in Ferguson, MO continue to unfold, one has to wonder if it’s even possible for racism to be relegated to the pages of history. It’s been 150 years since the US civil war which was fought to maintain the… Read More »Moving Beyond Racism
The job was taking much longer than expected. I didn’t know enough about it to understand the problem. It was clear to me that above the drop ceiling in the family room, a bundle of cables and various electronic boxes had been stashed out of sight. Somehow, this rat’s nest… Read More »Ferguson, Racism, and Overcoming Fear
I heard the news while driving: Robin Williams was dead. The apparent cause of death was suicide. The next day it was confirmed that Mr. Williams had killed himself. Since the first announcement on August 11, we were reminded that Mr. Williams struggled with depression and had recently been hospitalized… Read More »Robin Williams: The Sad Clown?
I am in awe that all four of my grandparents were part of a great exodus to the United States. From 1890 to 1914, 70% of the immigrants to the United States were from Eastern and Southern Europe. It was an immigration phenomenon that brought 1.2 million people to the… Read More »Lessons from My Family about Immigration
I sat on the bench of a picnic table. A short distance in front of me, a steep hillside dropped down to a stream of blue water fed by glaciers. Further on the horizon were majestic mountains. For about two hours, I enjoyed this view while watching the skies change.… Read More »Expanding Awareness
My understanding of life has changed a great deal since I was a child. I remember learning about evolution in grade school. The evolution of life on Earth was depicted as a seamless process with one form of life evolving to the next until human beings emerged. I also learned… Read More »Cosmology: The Spiritual Implications
I was lucky enough to receive an amazing inheritance from my parents and grandparents. I suspect that they didn’t realize what they gave me. I know they received it from the older generations of my family. I prize it as one of those riches that’s been part of the family… Read More »My Inheritance
