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High School Sports Hall of Fame
There is an underlying reality to our lives that is always present but can only be seen clearly through the eyes of time. It is a reality in which no one else can claim because it is our own to grasp. It is the individual story of our lives. For no one has breathed the air meant for us. No one has walked our footsteps. Although there will always be similarities to the experiences of our lives, there will never be complete symmetry. Our lives are exclusively ours. They are ours to learn from. To own. To live. I recently went home for a short but humble visit back to…
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Finding Freedom
I recently read an article that suggested that those over the age of 70 feel more content and are happier now more than at any other point in their lives. Some of the reasons proposed were more free time to do what they enjoyed such as hobbies and spending time with family and friends. Other reasons suggested worrying less and not caring what other people think anymore. What freedom. Freedom to do what you want, and whom to do it with, yet more importantly experiencing an interior freedom as well. I am a few years from 70, well 30 to be exact in September, but I long for the interior…
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Year Two
And just like that, the second year has come and gone. It is hard to believe that we have been calling Switzerland our home now for two years. This year was a wonderful year of travel (5 different countries), many great family visits, and tremendous growth and experiences for our two boys. Although there is much that is the same from our first year (here is a link to that list), namely, the beauty of the country, the balanced pace of life, and especially making sure that we have 2 CHF on us at all times for the WC, things have definitely changed a bit during our second year. Things…
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The Image
(The picture is inside of the Duomo di San Martino Cathedral in Lucca, Italy) There is an image that gives me comfort, I love it with every ounce of my being. Like a teddy bear or a blanket, I grip it tightly and bury my thoughts into its disturbing appearance. I have been drawn to its presence all of my life, I love this image with every ounce of my being. There is an image that I resist, I despise it with every ounce of my being. Like a teddy bear or a blanket, I am drawn to the comfort that I feel in my avoidance, I am addicted to the…
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Love Is
We use love in many of our sayings. We attach love to all kinds of emotions and feelings. We believe we love others when we are satisfied in the ways we order them to our world. We do these things believing we know what love is. We do these things believing we are in control. It is a natural thing I suppose to try to control the very thing we desire most, because in some ways, we want to believe that having control will make us safe and secure. Safe from pain and free from feeling empty. But somehow we know better. Somehow deep down we know that love can’t…
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Language of Love
Every morning at 6:08 a.m. the voice of my son can be faintly heard from his bedroom. “Mommy…can I have some milk, please?” The communication is straightforward and his words convey exactly what he wants. Living abroad gives you a new understanding of communication. Here in Switzerland, there are four languages spoken, all depending on the region you find yourself in. It can not sometimes help, especially when you don’t realize that you have crossed over into a different region. For instance, a simple “thank you” can be “Merci,” “Bitte,” or “Grazie.” More often than not, when the normal means of communication (language) breaks down, you sometimes have to resort…
