We had a flag pole in my front yard growing up; a full-size, raise it and lower it kind of flag pole. My grandpas both served in the military and fostered in my parents a great pride in our country. My parents always wanted to fly a flag to honor our nation. They took great care to teach us...
Think back to the summers of childhood—what happy days those were! Summer was a time when our schedules changed from the jam-packed day-to-day routine of the school year to the less-scheduled more leisurely days for an expanse of time that felt like it could last forever. The name of the...
This is the time of year that we look around us and see so many things growing and blooming—the trees, the flowers, and baby birds that are just hatching. It is also often the time of year that we look at the children around us and realize how much they’ve grown, learned and changed...
As spring approaches, something else approaches…wedding season! And that means this time of year is the primary time for bridal showers. This is a tradition that started primarily for women, but has expanded and now often includes the guys as well in couples showers (though my husband...
The “luck o’ the Irish” is a big theme this time of year. Living in the city with the largest Irish festival outside of Ireland I saw that theme being lived out all year long. People go to extreme lengths to do something lucky or to avoid something that’s unlucky...
Valentine’s Day is thought to be a great day to express your emotion of love for others. Much can be debated about whether this “Hallmark holiday” accomplishes that goal or not. But regardless of your conclusion on the holiday itself, it can be a great day to reflect on love...
This time of year has a lot to take in—the sights, the sounds, the full schedules, the anticipation—it can be hard to really listen. We’re being pulled in too many directions and there are too many things competing for our attention. It’s easy to end up feeling...
New starts are opportunities to reflect—this month, on the year that is coming to a close, and what we’d like to do differently in the year that’s to come. That, in part, is the reason people make New Year’s resolutions. They are goals for the coming year. When a new year...
