When my dog Scout and I spotted each other at the local animal shelter, it was love at first sight. He was a four-month-old puppy with soulful eyes and a handsome red coat. I was a mom who had just dropped off my youngest son at college. Scout needed a home. I needed a boy…
I learned the power of simple hospitality the summer I met Shirley Caldwell in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After just one year of marriage, my husband and I left behind all that was familiar to me when we packed up our car and drove more than 3,000 miles from Portland, Oregon to start our new life…
Sometimes it hurts to say what’s true. So we avoid difficult conversations because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. What we have to say will disappoint them. Make them feel sad. Maybe even break their heart. Or we remain silent because we’re afraid that someone might think less of us when they learn the…
Sharing space with difficult people can feel like one of the hardest things we do in life. Here’s how you can improve your toughest relationships starting today. Stop waiting for the other person to change. Let’s face it. Some people can be kind of rotten. Demanding. Manipulative. Unkind or unforgiving. But here is one thing…
Conversations about differences are happening regularly around my house these days. We talk about differences between religions. Cultures. Political views. And the often wildly differing opinions about all of the above. No topic is off limits. In all of these conversations, someone almost always asks, “Where does compassion fit in?” And one day last week,…
The dictionary’s definition of generosity is “giving freely without expecting payment in return.” But several years ago, a stranger’s kindness taught me something different. That instead of expecting nothing, we should be expecting everything when we choose to give generously. Lavish generosity springs from an expectant heart. The two of us stood on the corner…
