Gather the Good

“I am a brick wall! You will never break me!” the strapping man-sized teenager thundered. Day after day he refused to participate in activities with the other students at the detention center. Not even “The Birdie Song” could win him over those first weeks. His attitude was typical of many kids in detention. The barriers they’d erected for their own protection and survival seemed impenetrable.   Some months later this same boy was tried as an adult and convicted of…

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PECHAKUCHA! “What? What was that? Oh, did you sneeze or cough or hack or something?” Nope, I just said “PechaKucha!” It’s a real word, and it’s actually the name of an event I attended recently. PechaKucha (pronounced puh-CHAH’ kuh-CHAH’) is a unique performance where speakers can talk about pretty much anything they want to. They can relay whatever passion or perspective they want to share. There is one catch, however. The program follows a 20-by-20 format, which means each speaker…

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The old beat-up car was barreling up the street toward me. It came to a screeching stop along the sidewalk where I was walking. The passenger door immediately flew open, allowing me a glimpse of the driver, the vehicle’s lone occupant. He was a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and stern, angry eyes. Though this happened years ago, the words he bellowed will be forever embedded in my memory. “Get your ass in this car!” Instantly my adrenaline kicked into…

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It’s that time of year again! I’m talking about March Madness when college basketball dominates the television. At least it often has in our home where three sports-loving males once resided. Several times this season I’ve caught bits of televised basketball games with Kansas State and their coach, Bruce Weber. And each time he appears on the TV screen, I think back on the time he came to the detention center when he was coaching at the University of Illinois….

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One morning last week I sat at my desk to focus on writing. Just as I closed my eyes and began my ritual of settling into silence, I was surprised to feel the morning sunshine pouring over me. Oh, the blessed gift of that welcome warmth! I allowed myself some time to absorb and appreciate its magnificence, and then I turned my focus to breath. The next moment, the sound of a robin just outside my window diverted my attention….

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Several weeks ago I wrote about my recurring thoughts, thoughts that seemed to be leading me toward a big life change. Well, it happened. I just left a church where I’d been a member for over 20 years. That, to me, was a big deal. I was connected to a lot of people at church over the years. Some I didn’t know well, but I shared a special closeness with others. Now those relationships will be significantly altered—maybe even gone…

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Friday was my husband Rick’s last day at work. He’s retiring after being with the same family-owned business for almost 42 years. It’s hard to believe he’s been there for so many years. He’s worked for three generations of the family. A trivia tidbit: His current boss was 6 years old when Rick started. We’ve been excitedly awaiting this day for quite some time. Last year I made him a paper chain with one loop for every week he had…

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I’d noticed him earlier, the slender man with the slightly disheveled hair.  I’d watched him as he walked laps around the perimeter of the room. Now he approached and stood directly in front of me, our faces barely a foot apart. Under most circumstances, it would have felt like an encroachment on my personal space, but I didn’t mind. Not uttering a sound, he just kept staring intently into my eyes. Although I was unable to give him the attention…

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I’ve heard we often face the same lesson in life over and over until we finally “get it.” When we eventually learn what we’re supposed to from a situation, we can move on to something else. I’m wondering now if the same principle applies to my thoughts. Lately I’ve been plagued by a feeling of restlessness in my life. In reality, it’s been recurring for quite a while. I’ve resisted, attempting to press it into submission. I’ve tried to carry…

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One year before Valentine’s Day, my colleague Katy suggested we make special valentines for each of the kids at the detention center. With the help of the detention officers, we came up with a list of positive qualities of each student.   In truth, it may have required us to dig a little deeper for some students. And, sometimes we may have had to exercise a little creativity with our wording. Eventually, however, we came up with plenty of wonderful,…

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