DOG AND BEST FRIEND ON A WALK I was watching a young woman walk across a field with her dog. She let the dog off-leash. The dog enjoyed the freedom and darted off to the left at first. The young woman kept walking straight down a path in the field. The dog dodged back and
WHEN A FRIEND SUCCEEDS Sarah could have been envious. She could have pouted. Many would be upset. Alex, her friend, landed his dream job. She was still feeling stuck in her job. He would move on. She would remain. Sarah chose not to harbor jealousy. She chose a different emotion and a different response. She
I AM GIFTED I woke up this morning to a fresh new day. Barbara is a wonderful wife and partner. Many teachers and coaches and commanders have taught me so many skills. So many gifts. I am gifted. There are more gifts. The gift of my mind to think and reflect. The gift of my
THE AMAZING POWER OF GIVING In our busy world where it is so easy to be focused on ourselves, giving is like a superpower that can change everything. I’m not talking about giving money or presents. I’m thinking about giving a smile, giving a hug, just being kind. Like the proverbial pebble tossed into a
I WAS SELECTED FOR THE TEAM Remember the old recruiting posters? Uncle Sam pointing his finger at you saying, “I want you.” For some reason, the image reminds me of my sandlot baseball days in our neighborhood growing up. It was just a sandy, grassy field that was used for parking at the Stover Theater
BIG FOOTBALL GAMES For years, Barbara and I, along with a good friend Pappy Drennan, went to the big rivalry between The University of Texas and Texas A&M. This was played on Thanksgiving weekend each year back then. Talk about schools with traditions and a big football weekend. Our son, Joshua, was a student at
WHO ARE YOU BECOMING? My friend George’s daughter, Jennifer, joined the soccer team at school this semester. George goes to see her games. During the warmups, she is on the field, hustling, passing balls to other players, and working harder than the other players. She doesn’t play much, but she is always cheering on her
DON’T GIVE THANKS FOR ANYTHING Thanks-giving is good. Today is a day to be grateful. If you ask a child to “give thanks” at the big meal, they might look around and say, “Thank you for the turkey and the mashed potatoes and the green beans … and for the pumpkin pie. Amen.” We easily
I WAS IN JUNIOR HIGH It was one of those days, something like Pearl Harbor Day was for my parents. I was in junior high and sitting on a bench during a break, when the Principal came over the loudspeakers and told us all that “Kennedy has been shot.” Even as young teenagers, it took
SAY “HELLO” TO 10 PEOPLE TODAY Today is “World Hello Day”, which was founded in 1973 in response to the Yom Kippur War between Egypt and Israel. The hope was to say “hello” as a simple way of encouraging peace among people. We may not be able to do much about world peace, but we