Rebuilding a life
My first encounter with Nadia was seven years ago, when a friend brought her to our home at 10 o’clock one night. Her skin was sallow; her eyes sunken and empty; her hair... »
Personal Accounts
A different kind of security
They’re not coming back! I remember how I felt when it finally hit home. Alone. Afraid. Unsure. For years I had been working on a social service project in an impoverishe... »
The lone goose
The lake next to my home is a quiet, contemplative setting that’s perfect for a pensive moment. One day when I’d been going through a particularly difficult time, I sat r... »
A deeper purpose
When I was growing up, I was a loner with acute social anxiety and never had a close friend. I wanted there to be someone with whom I would feel comfortable enough to sha... »
The tea lesson
One thing that I enjoyed about the years I spent in Japan is how adept the Japanese are at turning everyday activities into art forms. Such routine tasks as making tea, a... »
Unexpected
Our jeep bumped along the rugged trail that was going to take us to the main road and back home to Nairobi, after a successful humanitarian aid project in a distant rural... »
The love of colors
One of the first presents I remember receiving was a small set of tempera paints. Later came a set of oil paints, a tripod, and some canvas. I remember my first “masterpi... »
Looking forward to Monday
Successful Icelanders were quoted in a recent newspaper article giving answers to the same set of questions. One response to the question “Do you have any life advice for... »
Gratitude therapy
The winter had been an exceptionally long one in the Balkan Peninsula. How we had been waiting for spring to come! Finally, the beautiful flowers sprang up, the trees bud... »
The smile game
When I was a little girl, my sister and I used to play the Smile Game. Whenever we were out and about, running errands with our mom, going to the supermarket, or waiting... »
Life’s balancing act
“My business is doing well,” a friend recently told me, “but I’m having more trouble with allergies than ever. It seems like when I stress out, they get worse, and I’m wo... »