19Nov 2013 by CJ

Cherished memories are stored in the cupboard of the heart

Life & Living, Youth
I always enjoy looking at old photographs or listening to stories from the past – narrated by those who’ve experienced them first hand. This example comes from my in-laws – who once told how growing up they would walk around to neighboring houses on Thanksgiving Day, ring the doorbell and ask “Anything for Thanksgiving?” When they first told me this story, I thought perhaps they were confusing it with Halloween – where back in the late 1940’s the act of yelling “trick-or-treat” became a customary and popular tradition on October 31st. I mean what would people give you if asked “Anything for Thanksgiving?” A turkey leg? A can of cranberry sauce? Maybe a couple of dinner rolls? But my father-in-law, a master detective online, found they weren’t the only ones…
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14Nov 2013 by CJ

Say a candlelight prayer this weekend for those with Alzheimer’s disease

Life & Living
“You're so beautiful," said Alice. “I'm afraid of looking at you and not knowing who you are.” “I think that even if you don't know who I am someday, you'll still know that I love you.” “What if I see you, and I don't know that you're my daughter, and I don't know that you love me?” “Then, I'll tell you that I do, and you'll believe me.” From the book “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova It’s a sad reality, but chances are we all will know someone who’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. More than 5 million Americans are currently living with the disease and 15.4 million caregivers have provided more than 17.5 billion hours of unpaid care for them.* I’ve personally watched on as cherished family members have battled…
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12Nov 2013 by CJ

Celebrate Thanksgiving with those you love – not strangers in a shopping mall

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
To me holidays are a time to hit the “pause button” from the rituals and responsibilities that surround our daily lives. It’s a time to reconnect with family and friends; to break out the fancy china and linens; to prepare a feast uncommonly found on your dining table during a busy work-week. In short, it’s a time to be thankful for all the blessings you have before you on a day which should be considered special, not ordinary. When I was growing up you’d be hard pressed to find a food store or retailer open on time-honored holidays. Highways and side streets were like utter ghost towns – void of frenzied commuters rushing from here and there. It was an opportunity for reflection and appreciation as the entire population shed…
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04Nov 2013 by CJ

The beauty of nature is revealed in its falling leaves

Life & Living
As the leaves of tree branches begin to wither away and fall to the ground below, it’s customary for home owners to immediately gather and dispose of them. We perceive them as a “mess” to tend to – an inconvenience that often costs us time or labor to properly rid our properties of. Both the front and the back of my property are home to mighty trees that have begun their annual dormant ritual of shedding leaves which once thrived in the spring and summer months. Typically I too am out there on weekend mornings - racking and blowing the lifeless foliage into large piles. But if you were to pass by my house today you’d notice that hasn’t happened. For starters, many leaves have still yet to fall from…
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29Oct 2013 by CJ

Adultery shows just how little we care about each other

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
It’s incredibly frustrating and utterly disrespectful that nothing in life is truly “private” any more. Spam email is one of my biggest annoyances – for on any given day my inbox is littered with dozens of unsolicited emails that require my personal time to unsubscribe to. Doesn’t seem fair, but then again who ever said that life was. Lately I’ve noticed countless emails for Medicare enrollment and motorized scooters (come on – I’m only 38 years old!); travel deals and concert tickets; and most recently dating sites for all races, genders, ages and fetishes. Frightening really. But today I received spam mail with a subject line I recognized immediately from a column I wrote back in July of 2009. AshleyMadison.com is a dating site geared towards those men and women…
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