So often we are judged by our knee jerk reactions rather than by our thoughtful responses. We’re judged by our reactions when we’re hurt, cornered, fearful, hopeless, and alone rather than by our responses when we’re peacefully and thoughtfully convicted. There is more to us than search results, sound bites, and social media posts. We…
Tag: respect
In the End
We kept her alive maybe longer than we should have. The four of us. But those extra years were bonus years. Even when she didn’t know us…
To Be Educated
To be educated is to understand…
When the Cows Cry
In the evening, the cows up on the hill at the Lonesome Dove Ranch cry as if they’ve lost their calves. It reminds me of my last phone call with my father.
The Problem With You
Be different. But not completely different. Just different in the way we think you should be different. Different in the way we think others think you should be different. Because we know. And they know. Better than you. Who you should be. Regardless of who you are.Regardless of how you feel.Regardless of what you know.Regardless…
Long Enough
I’ve lived long enough to know that it’s possible to crush someone’s spirit into non-existence. To break someone down so they can’t take another step. Miraculous healing is possible, but it often empowers those who’ve done the crushing to keep doing it indefinitely. Consequences level the field and are, perhaps, the best and most honest…
Less Energy
It takes less energy to actually care than it does to pretend that you do.
Personal Preferences
Reading one’s own social media feeds that have been limited and shaped over weeks and years by algorithmic responses to your own personal preferences is not “doing your research.”
Fly Free
There’s a passage in the Bible about becoming as little children that I often ponder. It’s worth considering whether or not you’re a Christian. I don’t think for a moment that it’s a call to become like fifth graders or even two-year-olds in terms of self-seeking behavior. What I do believe it means is flying…
From the Outside
One game a parent will never win is painting the other parent out in a negative light—to anyone. There’s nothing, nothing, nothing more detrimental to children than lack of mutual respect and a driving battle for control between parents, regardless of whether they’re together. False humility and the inability to value each other’s contributions hurts…
Rare But Never Wrong
We always have the freedom to treat others well—employees, customers, clients, contractors, vendors, colleagues and strangers we meet on the street. It’s never wrong to treat people with respect, regardless of status or circumstances—ours or theirs. It is never wrong to be kind, even in the face of disagreement or communication breakdown. These things are…
Fragmentary Life 