Looking back.

When i was younger, I hated looking back. When I was younger, I was always looking ahead. I couldn’t wait to grow up. I counted down the days until birthdays, summer vacation, graduation, getting a job, and all the milestones I thought would finally make me feel like I had arrived somewhere. Looking back never…

Chasing the End of the Rainbow

When I was a kid, I truly believed there was a pot of gold waiting at the end of every rainbow. Whenever one appeared after the rain, I’d get so excited. I’d point at it and ask my dad to drive toward it because I was absolutely convinced we were about to become rich. If…

The Story That Changed How I See the World

Apparently I’m not quite finished talking about Little Women. Yesterday, I wrote about the ending I’d change. Today, I’m realizing the book changed me in ways that have nothing to do with who Jo ended up with. When I first read Little Women, I expected a story about four sisters growing up. What I didn’t…

Happiness Isn’t What Most People Think It Is

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about happiness is that it means having a perfect life. Many people believe that happiness comes after reaching a certain goal. Maybe it’s finding the perfect job, making more money, buying a house, getting married, losing weight, or finally solving all of life’s problems. We tell ourselves that…

We laid my dad to rest.

Today was a beautiful day. As difficult as this day was, I know Dad would have been happy. One of his final wishes was granted. He wanted a Christian burial and funeral service, and today we were able to give that to him. When Dad was gravely ill, we had many deep and difficult conversations…