Friday Tidings

Before I was born, my parents lived in Okinawa while my dad served in the Air Force. On a special trip to Tokyo, my mom eyed a beautiful doll and my dad seeing how much it meant to her, purchased it.  This ornate, incredibly fragile doll was displayed in their first home and then traveled thousands of miles back to the US where it graced the mantle of our fireplace. As the light reflected on her, she seemed to look down on me with different expressions. I very much wanted to play with her, but she was off limits to my clumsy five-year-old hands. I knew this and left her alone, but for some reason, I decided to take a closer look. My small hands reached over my head so I could personally inspect the glass face and the colors of her costume. Unfortunately I couldn't reach and hold at the same time and I dropped her on the hearth, breaking the doll in several pieces. After the initial shock and scolding that immediately followed, it was my mother's tears that truly hurt...

I’m reveling in the snow-covered landscape. The thick pristine blanket covers all the leaves I didn’t rake.  For the brief time the snow lasts, it beautifies the spindly alder trees and hides the muddy driveway. My cynical side considers how this snow coating is like our political landscape. Who’s anticipating the 2012 election? I’m already tired of the caustic attacks, worn-out excuses and the stump speeches. Who can we trust with the severity of all the complex issues we face? Hillary Clinton once said it takes a village to raise a child. I suggest something similar: it will take our nation’s people working together to save us from our demise—there’s no miracle political leader. Snow eventually melts exposing what's underneath, and likewise, who ever wins next November can’t cover up the severity of our nation’s problems....it's an ugly mess—just like my muddy driveway beneath this beautiful blanket of snow. Political "snow-covered" words sou...

Sex gets attention. It sells things. Racy, suggestive commercials lure us in with promises. But sex wasn’t supposed to be so cheap and given away so easily. Sex, once reserved for adulthood, now has some elementary girls seeking birth control.  Students are taught about sexuality along with math and grammar. Heck, in some classrooms they even learn how to have better sex.  But sex has a cost. And it can be expensive.  Someone I know just got a look at the price tag. And I hate to tell them it's only the beginning.   In the throwaway nature of young sexual relationships, something special is lost with every break-up.  With each relationship failure, the baggage gets a bit heavier. For many youth, the future is a far away place and sex is more immediate. It's just another activity to be enjoyed, like a good movie. And then came Tim Tebow. I never thought someone from the raunchy; rowdy NFL would be promoting sexual purity. Here i...

Around age eleven, I participated in track and field. I wasn’t fast, so sprints weren’t my thing, which also ruled out relays. I didn’t even attempt the hurdles. However, to my coach’s surprise, I managed to do well in the high jump. I perfected the approach, the twist and moving my body over the bar. Just as I mastered a level, the bar was raised. My track career came to an end when I couldn’t compete with others who were able to keep raising the bar higher. I think about my short-lived track career whenever I fail to clear the bar on my goals. But over the years, I’ve done something even worse— not setting the bar high enough to begin with. As I contemplate 2012, I’d like to make some premeditated good choices for better living. To set the bar higher for the New Year, I’m using Ben Franklin’s 13 virtues. 1. Self-Control   The things I need to control in my life may change as I get older, but the will power to do it is something I still ne...