cultivating the beautiful ordinary by sharing our tales and our tables
The conversation that evening was sweet, as much a contributor to the celebration as the sumptuous meal and quiet candlelight at a favorite restaurant. My friend wanted to hear what had been significant for me in the year that was finishing and what I was looking forward to in the year ahead. As the evening…
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I was never a bandwagon football fan. I grew up on Sunday afternoons, as young as five years old, listening to my father tell me about the details of football plays and how it all worked. My favorite NFL team was the Chicago Bears, with its quarterback Jim McMahon. Their defense was incredible. Later, my…
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The last time I said to Dan, “I am just telling you the truth,” I was fed up with what he was doing. There is, of course, a place for anger, but in this case, I was not concerned about him. I wanted him to stop his annoying remarks. The problem with “telling the truth”…
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There is a girl I keep locked away. She sneaks out occasionally. You would think she would try to be quiet to avoid detection when she gets out, but this girl doesn’t know how to be quiet. This girl has opinions, and she is loud. Here is what I know about her: She questions everything.…
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“Where do your boys think you are right now?” my counselor asks. I am surprised by her question, which seems out of left field. “I told them I had an appointment,” I reply. It’s vague, I’ll admit, but it’s not a lie. “What would happen if you told them the truth?” she asks, interrupting the…
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“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This was the prayer that I recited each week for one year in a little metal building with the letters AA discretely stamped on the door. I was…
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“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” Madeleine Albright Asking me to choose a favorite moment in Pride and Prejudice is a bit like asking me to choose my favorite dessert. They are all so delicious; how can…
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