Dear K, I wanted so desperately to make your double-digit birthday special. Ten, after all, is something special. As you put it, you have now lived an entire decade. Ten more of the same and you'll be twenty - in college or married or traveling the world. When I look back, I have no regrets […]
Dear Tim, When you slipped a ring on my finger fourteen and a half years ago, I had no hesitation. None. "'Til death due us part" seemed much too short even then. You have only gotten better with age - smarter, funnier, wiser, and more successful. A man of projects, you have the very unique […]
"I can't bear it." You folded your hands over your face in misery. We were reading the final chapters of "Charlotte's Web" and, though this is probably our third time reading it, your tender heart is not unmoved. You have always felt things deeply - observing tiny details in nature and faces. You wish for a […]
Nineteen years ago, we were standing in my parent's kitchen - pink tile and dirty dishes. The house was empty and you leaned over to take a kiss from my lips. My first kiss. A few days later, I told my parents, "I'm dating Tim Sheaffer." Matter-of-fact. I don't remember there being a big discussion. […]
If Compassion Experience comes to your city - GO. Make a reservation or walk-in. Bring a handful of kids. Let them listen to the lives of four real children in Bolivia, Uganda, Kenya, and the Philippines. You and your children will each be given an iPod and a headset. Then, you'll be invited to walk […]
"When you are 99, you're still going to be running," my 8-year-old says to me out-of-the-blue before I head out for a 5 o'clock run. I nod my head, ponytail bobbing and eyes twinkling, yes. "If you get old and can't read anymore, I am going to come to your house and read you stories." […]