On a chilly evening 18 years ago, after spending nearly every waking minute with Angel for eight straight days, I knew I had to tell her just one thing.  So late at night, just before she fell asleep, I whispered it in her ear.  She smiled … the kind of smile that makes me smile back.  And she said, “When I’m 75, and I think about my life and what it was like to be young, I hope I can remember this very moment.”

A few seconds later she closed her eyes and fell asleep.  The room was peaceful … almost silent.  All I could hear was the soft purr of her breathing.  I stayed awake thinking about the time we’d spent together and all the choices in our lives that made this moment possible.  And at some point, I realized it didn’t matter what we’d done or where we’d gone.  Nor did the future hold any significance.

All that mattered was [Read more…]

On a chilly November night 18 years ago…

I would have preferred not to write to you.  In fact, about a week ago, I put a post-it note on my computer monitor that said, “What would Skyman do?” (Skyman is my cat).  It was supposed to remind me not to do things that Skyman wouldn’t do.

Skyman would just wag his tail or wiggle his little nose and hope that whoever he’s wagging or wiggling to understands that he’s hungry, or lonely, or in love, or whatever.  But he certainly wouldn’t write a silly love letter to the coolest girl he knows.  Because he can’t form complex thoughts.  And because he’s smart enough not to be so stupid.

This evening, the post-it note fell off my computer monitor and landed on the floor.  And although post-it notes usually lose their stick after a few days, this one was different.  It was still really sticky and shouldn’t have come unstuck.  And it was light green, which is the color of your eyes.  These were obvious signs I couldn’t ignore.

So, I decided to write to you…  To tell you that [Read more…]

We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.
– Albert Einstein

Never Forgive Him

She showed up at my front door before work at 7am this morning with the most troubled, despondent expression on her face (which is not typical of her disposition).  “I’m sorry I didn’t call,” she said.  “But I haven’t slept all night, and I really need to talk to someone.  I just need some advice.”

I invited her in and poured her a cup of coffee.  “So, what’s on your mind?” I asked.

“Last night my husband told me something about his college years that he never told me before,” she said in a shaky voice.  “And I completely disagree with his actions.  It’s horrible, really… and I just can’t stop thinking about it!  I don’t know if I will ever be able to forgive him.”

“Well, before you tell me anything else, let me ask you this: Why do you think [Read more…]

Made Him Happy

I know a man who loves to knit.  Blankets, quilts, sweaters… he knits them all.  Knitting is his hobby, his love.  He could choose another hobby—something a bit more masculine, like restoring vintage cars or hunting.  But this man continues to stick with what makes him happy—knitting.  Because he discovered knitting when he was only a little boy who didn’t know any better.  And now, it’s a huge part of who he is.

As he grew into his teenage years he was made aware of the fact that knitting wasn’t a common hobby for a boy.  “Knitting is a hobby for girls or for boys who like to wear high heels,” his older brother used to say.  Over time, after being frequently ridiculed by his own family and others, he eventually asked himself a question:  [Read more…]