25 Mood Boosting Songs For when life feels too big, the weather stinks, your kid/spouse/friend is driving you crazy. Brought to you in no particular order: “On Top of the World” by Imagine Dragons. “Walken” by Wilco. “Going in the Right Direction” by Robert Randolph and the Family Band. “Girl from Tennessee” by NEEDTOBREATHE. “Float On” by Modest Mouse. “Blue Skies” by Ella Fitzgerald. “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. “Wona” by Mumford and Sons and Baaba …

It all started with a teddy bear. Actually, it started with watching the morning news. I should have known better. I am not the sort that can handle reality before the sun. But for some reason, fate or whimsy, I tuned into the local station. Along with Obamacare panic, inauguration woes, and local robberies (one at a hotel disconcertingly close to our house…I know because I Google mapped it), they aired a piece from Florida …

Hebrews 11:13-16 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had the …

As I mentioned last week, we went to the zoo which led to the mall. Not exactly linearly, but when your children climb in exhibits, choose rock gullies over your warm embrace, and flee from you in the parking lot, something needs to change. Our collective family unit was sending out a cry for help. So I took Cora to the mall, by herself, on a date.                 …

I used to teach a philosophy class back when my brain was working. It was a basic introduction to philosophy as this was still high school after all and we covered the Western wise men and their women counterparts as well as a few Eastern fellows. We came to Aristotle in the early stages of the class, when the students still weren’t sure what philosophy was other than an irritatingly abstract set of questions and …

It snowed this weekend. On the Friday that would have put Charlie back to school for a total of three days. It wasn’t supposed to be a big one. In fact, at 5 a.m. when I was clocking in to the morning shift of making breakfast and packing school lunch, there was nary a flake. By six it was coming down steadily. I smiled at it over my breakfast like “aren’t you cute” and “look …

GENESIS 21:6-10 6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” 8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the …

Jonas climbed into an exhibit at the zoo last week. No kidding. I was giving Cora grapes and Jody was re-positioning Charlie’s wheelchair so that he would be out of the sun and could see the giraffes better. Here’s the best part. We did not even notice. I look up from the yellow plastic bowl I was handing Cora when a woman approaches me saying, “Excuse me, ma’am, is that your son?” The worst words …

We took the kids to the park last week because A) it was fifty degrees and they needed airing out, B) they were out of school and crazy, and C) you can only go to Costco and the mall so much. The actual park experience had been great. I walked Charlie around the perimeter in his wheelchair where he waved hello to every person, bench, and squirrel. The twins ran rampant under wooden tunnels, through …

We hosted a New Year’s Eve gathering. Sounds fancy, yes? You’re picturing canapes and sparkling wine and bacon-wrapped things and the countdown and shiny dresses. Let me re-phrase. We had two friends over…for lunch. The lunch was pizza and not the fancy kind. This was the kind you find wedged between the nail salon and grocery store. It was one step up from a Hot ‘n Ready from Little Caesar’s. Outings to restaurants with a …