An Ode to my Friends on a Hot Summer’s Morn’

"I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better." ~Plutarch Sympathy is the death knell of a good friendship. Empathy, on the other hand, is a restorative balm that heals life's cuts and scrapes. Sympathy says to another "you are right to …

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I Wish You Peace

I Wish You Peace by The Eagles I wish you peace when the cold winds blow Warmed by the fire’s glow I wish you comfort in the, the lonely time And arms to hold you when you ache inside I wish you hope when things are going bad Kind words when times are sad I …

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The Greatest Virtue

Of all the virtues, righteousness is the greatest. No amount of patience, generosity, earnestness, friendliness, diligence, kindness or humility will provide the counterweight necessary to overcome the gravitational pull of vice. Of all the virtues, righteousness is greatest. Righteousness is the quality that inspires to greatness, when nothing less will do. Righteousness is the quality …

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Unconditional Forgiveness: Amish Grace

A good friend of mine grew up in Amish country. She isn't Amish, but I always enjoy hearing stories of her childhood. While I know very little about the Amish, I feel I know a bit more after watching a Lifetime movie called Amish Grace Saturday evening. If you haven't seen it, here is the synopsis, provided …

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The Top 7 Ways to Ruin a Perfectly Good Life by Gregg Hake

Leonardo DaVinci once wrote, "Life well spent is long." Socrates wrote some 2,000 years earlier, "Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued." To be sure, a life well lived is ideal, but optional. While I typically prefer to consider the positive attributes of any subject in order to provide stepping stones for …

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Our Planet is a Curious Place: Change, Grudges and Forgiveness

Our planet is a curious place.  Filled with a remarkable array of both animate and inanimate objects, its surface and all that dwell thereupon morph from moment to moment.  Never were there two moments exactly the same in history.  A snapshot taken today of the earth in its fulness would be hardly recognizable if shown …

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Parenthood, Character and You

"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."  - Anne Frank There is nothing like parenthood.  It is an opportunity to distill your central values and beliefs in preparation for passing the baton.  Parenthood forces the question: …

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