Columns & Editorials
What Is Love?
“I think love is being kind, helpful and caring for others,” says Patrick, 7. “I once showed love for my mom when I agreed to go to her favorite restaurant after I tasted their food.”
The Perks of Playing Bingo
By the time you read this, it will be shockingly close to Christmas. I hope some things have come to fruition by then. I hope I’m finished Christmas shopping. I hope I’ve figured out a solid porch decoration plan. Lord knows the things I envisioned haven’t developed accordingly. I hope the new kitten has allowed the main Christmas tree to remain in an upright position. Phoebe is, clearly, part owl, choosing to roost among the plastic- coated branches. I hope the world has slowed its spin just a touch. This time of year tends to be a holiday version of that dreaded 70s metal merry-go-round, the one that made us all puke if we closed our eyes while some older kid did the spinning. I hope I will have taken some time to do the things that keep me sane: watch The Family Stone while snuggling with an entire box of tissue, make chocolate candy but not eat any, and surrender myself into a chapter of Luke each day. These things are good for my soul, like chicken soup for a small-town granny’s heart. If today is any predictor, I am on the right track.
The Scoop On Senior
year around the sun to Walter Stuart, Ron Borrelli, Thomas Farris, Gloria Miller, Mary Holt, Gail Spaugh, Neil Ford, and Carol Paddick!
What Is Heaven Like?
“Everything is free,” says Christina, age 12. “Everyone lives in a mansion. No one has to go to work. There are no house payments.”
Ask Aunt B
Dear Aunt B, My mother has some significant memory problems and is no longer safe in her own home. We have placed her in a memory care facility. She is not happy most of the time.
Ask Aunt B
Dear Aunt B, My heart is broken. I can’t even explain to you what has happened, so I know I am asking a great deal. Please help me heal my broken heart. I'm not sure how to begin.
What Do You Think Your New Name Will Be In God’s Kingdom?
“I think God will give me ‘Bubba’ as a new name,” says Andrew, age 11. “‘Bubba’ means like a good friend. I think everybody will have a good name in heaven because there is no evil there.”
Bend it Like Your Grandma
I don’t remember the hot games being this hot. I don’t remember the cold games being this cold. The wet ones are absolutely soggy. The windy ones are gale force. These aforementioned hours are excruciating, at times alternating from one climate crisis to another. Is this a scene from The Clan of the Cave Bear, my mother’s favorite book series? Is it a snippet from the Mad Max movies – maybe the one where Tina Turner sang on the soundtrack? Nope. It’s just a day on the fields from the standpoint of a grandma, a soccer grandma, that is. Hear me roar.
