Family Stories
Tell Your Meaningful Family Stories
There’s healing power in telling your family story. Emily Esfahani Smith in “The Two Kinds of Stories We Tell About Ourselves,” writes…
The Tragedy of Generational Amnesia
I find it one of the more startling verses in the Bible: And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers….
The Words You Use to Describe Your Family
Ashley, Jessica, Nathan & Joseph. These are my four. They’ve been joined by sons-in-law Ben and Phillip. And this year we’ve added…
Aging Cheerfully or Grumpily—The Seeds We Sow
The seeds you sow all your life show up as you age. Will you grow into a cheerful old person or a…
How My Worst Day Became My Best Day
My worst day was my best day. It was a Saturday, and a spark found a crack, which led to flames leaping from…
What I Learned From an Afternoon Driving Mom Around Town
In this past year, my 92-year-old mother has declined substantially. Yet we’ve had these wonderful moments. One of my favorite times was…
Anti-Asian Prejudice and the World of the Generous
I would never be inclined to think that my struggles were the same as other ethnic minorities. They were not. But they…
Simple Generosity Begins in the Heart
How is it that some of the most generous people are those who have little material wealth? Simple generosity is a beautiful…
Dad’s Newspapers And Me: The Things You Remember
It’s funny the things you remember and how they become part of your story. When I was just a kid, we didn’t…
A New Proverb: From One Generation to the Next
“Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.” Every culture around the world has its version of that proverb.
Another Story One Seat Over: Tenacity & Legacy
I leaned over and asked if Kansas City was her destination. She said, “Yes, but I’ve been visiting my daughter in Oregon.”…
Can We Learn About Legacy from the Prodigal Son Story?
I’d bet you’re familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son, but do you know the key family legacy principle it so…