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Books for Boys
Finding a well-written, entertaining book for a boy who hates to read is always a challenge. Woods Runner, by Gary Paulsen, grabs your attention at the get-go. It opens, “One day, it seemed he was eleven and playing in the dirt around the cabin or helping with chores, and the next, he was thirteen,…
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Thanksgiving Child
Kathryn was born on Thanksgiving weekend 11 years ago on an unforgettable day. Due to the trauma of her birth, she sustained brain damage which causes her to have spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cognitive delays. She cannot walk, talk, or do anything without assistance. Her disabilities are many, and her life is full…
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Raising the Perfect Parent
Always Kiss Me Good Night: Instructions on Raising the Perfect Parent (compiled by J.S. Salt) is the best advice that kids (ages 8-12) have for parents. Here are a few gems. Make me be beautiful. (Jackie) Write notes on my lunch box napkin. (Jenny) Think when you were a kid and not yell so much.…
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Avoiding a Mid-Life Crisis
If you are growing old well, then you are likely to help a child grow up well. 40 is not old, but it’s certainly not young either. It’s the start of mid-life, and it has a well-earned, dangerous reputation. It’s when so many people have an inner crisis, even if life is sailing along smoothly…
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Father or Friend?
Father’s Day. We give Dad something like a pocket knife or a round of golf. We remind him that we appreciate his work and that his role is valuable. It’s a worthwhile holiday, even if it’s a bit underwhelming sometimes. Nonetheless, a good dad is priceless, which is worth celebrating. Unfortunately, there are a lot…
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Finding Significance
I’ve had the blues for a few weeks now. It’s not a full-blown depression. It’s just a nagging funk that doesn’t seem to have a good reason for its existence and doesn’t seem to have an end. I get it once or twice a year, often on the backside of winter. Since I haven’t been…
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The Great Abigail Adams
John Adams was a man of tremendous intellect and inner strength. With the aid of Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers, he set the legal and political foundations of the United States of America. As a rebel, he was the intellectual force of the revolution against England. His words in support of reason and…
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Two Extraordinary Young Men
This is a trailer for a terrific new documentary called “Sons of Lwala.” It is about two young men who left Kenya to pursue medical studies at Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, and Washington University. They wish to build a hospital in their home village of Lwala, Kenya, but they have absolutely no experience and no money. Their…
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The Empty Nest
My children are just entering adolescence, so it surprised me that I had such a visceral reaction to this article about “the empty nest.” It made me realize that these days – right here, right now – with my children are absolutely precious and fleeting. Whatever you think of Dr. James Dobson, I think you…
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Real Men Drive Minivans
There comes a time in a man’s life when the favorite car gets traded in for a minivan. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, and in time you start loving its usefulness. You begin to think that it’s worth all that money. Then you see all the stains, smells, dings, scratches, and dents that pile…
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Embracing Interruption
Today was the first day of the school year, the day when the hallways of our middle school are jam-packed with beaming 12-14 year olds. They are beaming with delight at being reunited with their old friends, beaming with suntanned faces full of braces, and beaming with shiny new school supplies, locker decorations, and fresh-out-of-the-box…
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Role Models
Charles Barkley, the great basketball player and television personality, once said at the height of his NBA career, “I’m not a role model… Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids. If you want a role model, look up to your parents. A lot of guys can dunk a basketball…
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Success and Significance
Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, had some words to say about success. It starts with a quiz. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest. Name five people who have won either the Nobel…