The Ball “ball…ball……ball, ball, ball, ballballballballball………ball” As I watched my friend’s border collie, this is all that could possibly be going through her brain. Her focus was beyond intense. It was singular, concentrated, and unbreakable. Around her at the dog park, other dogs would try to play with her, try to sniff her, try all […]
Now Is The Time “Tenors, please don’t scream here.” We giggled a little, as a tenor section in a choir has a tendency to do. The conductor who was rehearsing us for the big performance was trying to be sure the tone coming from the tenors wasn’t too strident or yell-y. It was her task […]
Something About Love “It’s not about the notes. It’s about the groove.” That is the thought that came to me as I listened to a recording of Knocks Me Off My Feet by Stevie Wonder in one ear, listened to my own voice and piano playing in the other ear, read the music in front […]
Modeling Self Care Aloha Friends. My message this week is no message. I’m taking a floating holiday from Labor Day today because I have worked in some capacity on each of the past fourteen days. I feel great. I share that not in any way to make anyone feel bad. I am simply modeling what […]
Our Own Advice Sometimes I wonder what our lives would be like if we took all of the great advice we give to others. Would we let more things go, get more sleep, drink less caffeine, and go for more walks in nature? Probably. Those are just a few of the ways I’ve wondered recently […]
A Good Time “We’re having a good time…having a good time…” When these lyrics came from the speakers, they came with an announcement: “The groom wants everyone to get up and dance before dinner.” It was nice to have the message from the DJ, but the groom’s message was already clear because he was punching […]
That Time of Year Well, it’s that time of year again…time to plan for Thanksgiving! The annual Nu’uanu Valley Interfaith Thanksgiving Service is in full planning mode, and in meetings taking place on Zoom, from a few different corners of the globe, our merry band of planners is at it again. We are looking for […]
What’s Next I had a chance this week to speak with a colleague who is a hospital chaplain. She was naturally very concerned with all of the wild growth in numbers of Covid infections, and we spoke about what that means for the many patients she and her colleagues see in hospitals. She also spoke […]
Early to Rise “I want to be on the road by 6.” Big words from my friend who usually wakes at 11. Up by 6 though, we got the essentials done. We made banana pancakes and since we forgot to get maple syrup, we concocted a peanut butter and almond milk “syrup” that seemed like […]
The Cheering Section The first person I knew really well who died was my friend Christopher’s mother. Carole was the mother hen, really, of our town. Everyone knew her, and if there was ever a house where we needed to have a party or an event for a school function, she was quick to offer […]
A Good Age I don’t think he really meant to hit her very hard. It was still a little difficult to watch, though also a little comical. A child I guessed was about nine months old was tottering on his mother’s lap in the boarding area. She was trying to get him to stand, but […]
There and Back Again It was a great blessing to have some time for rejuvenation! Because I know how much we all love seeing pictures of a vacations…here are some from mine. There are only 10, so I am not taxing you all too much.
A Banner Day Greetings from the sweltering Pacific Northwest! With temperatures at or around 108 degrees the past few days, it’s been quite an adventure so far. Now I know what some of you are thinking: “Good heavens, leave us alone. We’re on vacation from you!” And that’s a fair thought. But a few of […]
The Big Fuss It’s funny how the older I get, the more I find myself saying things around my birthday like, “It’s really only a number,” or “I don’t know where the time went.” When I was younger, the ticking off of another year really meant something. It marked a right of passage or maybe […]
Sole Work It looked so inviting. There between what looked like rocks were two open channels out to the breaking surf. We wondered if we could body surf the break out there or if it would be too strong. There was only one way to find out. We swam to the rocks and saw that […]
Taking the Hint “Are you OK?” I didn’t know why he was asking me that. Maybe he saw me wipe out on my wave and was concerned. I’m not an expert surfer to say the very least. I am not even a novice surfer. I think I’d have to stand up more than once or […]
“Great” Grace “I can’t stop smiling. I am now a great uncle.” This is a text I awoke to from one of my closest friends. His niece gave birth to a beautiful new baby and that made him a “great” uncle. The joy I know he is feeling over welcoming this new human into his […]
A Life’s Work Do you know what I didn’t like growing up? Homework. Especially math homework. If my mother could have back the hours that it took to get me to do my math homework, she could have earned another degree. I don’t even have a great excuse for why I didn’t do my math […]
I Always Will He was always tinkering with his car. That’s one of the things that he always talked about. This piece is supposed to come in by that time. This friend has a lift so I can get the piece on the car. When he stayed with me and my family in Washington before […]
Personal Day Aloha Friends, Some of you likely picked up in the sermon that I surprised an uninvited visitor in my home last week who was trying to make off with some of my belongings and the belongings of my friend. After giving chase and retrieving all of my belongings, I had a lot more […]
