Calling the circle — redux

Having a gym membership doesn’t make you fit.Going to a garage doesn’t make you a car.Attending church doesn’t make you religious. For many people, religion is a significant aspect of their identity, representing the group with which they feel kinship and the people with whom they spend time. Religion can provide a path that helps us…

Right in front of your nose

When we lived in Tampa, a hurricane was forecast. The usual buildup preceded its arrival: shopping for essential supplies, securing potential projectiles, monitoring evacuation orders. We were aware of the predictions about the storm’s timing, path and strength but planned to shelter in place. My husband’s impending deployment took precedence over the weather.  When we…

The good. The sad. The stupid.

During the past weeks of COVID, it’s been like someone took a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle and tossed the pieces up into the air. And for good measure burned the box with its cover image of what the completed puzzle looks like…. The pandemic has uncovered fault lines, predicaments of unsustainability and short-sightedness. The virus starts…

A Game Changer

We’re all connected. What you do affects me. We’re all in this together. Everyone has a role to play, even if it’s just maintaining a safe distance to keep infections at bay. We’re all trying to make do. We are dealing with a do-it-yourself (DIY) response and learning on the fly. A disaster shakes things…

Giving up for Lent

When I was a child, I remember Lent as a time for “giving up,” which generally meant refraining from consuming something tangible like candy or soda. Since we didn’t have everyday access to such treats, giving them up was not much of a sacrifice. The forty days of Lenten preparation are like New Year’s resolutions…