Magical Memoir Moments
Hope and Perseverance in Post-Election America
It’s been harder than usual to focus on words this past week. As I searched for words, I also walked, reviewing and reflecting upon the sights and sounds in my world since the election. Sights Sounds For several weeks, I have looked forward to seeing Krista Tippett and Courtney Martin again, two friends I…
Rethinking Middle Age in Community and Envisioning Older Age as Ascent
Yesterday fall sunshine suffused our conference room at the Collegeville Institute. I was “on deck” as the first scholar to present my findings and receive feedback on my project: Jubilación: Vocation in the Third Act of Life. Having colleagues, a community of scholars who challenge and encourage you, is a gift at any stage in…
On Reviewing Books: We Are What We Read
Remember chewing your pencil when you had to write a book review for school? At some point in the process of writing a book review, I nearly always regret saying “yes” to the assignment. A good review requires at least two readings of the book, note-taking, special attention to themes and structure, and comparisons of…
A Golden Jubilee Move-In: How a 50-Year-Old Dorm Room Still Inspires My Future
It’s been 50 years since I set sail for college! Getting there had been a struggle. My parents helped load my earthly possessions into the trunk of our ’57 Dodge. I was breathless with excitement as we left the driveway of the family farm, stones crunching under the wheels. The trouble began as we approached…
The Shadow Side of Birthdays: The Side We Can’t See
I grew up listening to “Keep On the Sunny Side” as I helped to milk cows morning and night. It was the intro to the local radio station’s country and gospel music program. I never saw the Carter Family in person, but here is Mother Maybelle and her famous guitar and famous daughters. Look at…
Two Volunteers Who Make This July Special
A volunteer sunflower and a volunteer interview fill me with joy in my favorite month of July. See post below to see both!
Everything that Rises Must Converge: Naming What Rises
Adult children visits, Celtic Pilgrimage, writing assignments, family vacations, and preparation for a fellowship in the fall. All these promising events are rising or are about to rise. How to help them converge? I made a decision.
Seeking Wisdom: A Lifelong Quest
If you rubbed a magic oil lamp and Aladdin offered you only one wish, what would it be? I’d ask for wisdom. The story of King Solomon, who famously chose wisdom, made a deep impression on my in my youth, and later I prayed often for wisdom as a mother, teacher, and college president. In…
Odyssey: Two New Stages of Life
The columnist David Broder gobsmacked me this week with these words: There used to be four common life phases: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Now, there are at least six: childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age. Of the new ones, the least understood is odyssey, the decade of wandering that frequently…
When Breath Becomes Air: On Being A Mortal Pilgrim
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi has inspired me to reflect on the role of mortality and pilgrimage as we enter the stage of life called Jubilación.
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