I’ve had an itch lately to run for something public. And why not go big, right? So I want to be President of the U.S. Go ahead … insert your “Well, we can’t do much worse” joke right now. I’ll wait. Anyway, I’ve got a list of things which a President should support and I need to get off my mind. These are just a few proposed planks in my platform: We need a constitutional amendment which mandates high-quality ethics and morals. I’m not quite sure how to implement this one. I’m working on that.

My dad tells stories to illustrate how to make life decisions. Of all his stories, I love this story of perseverance and courage. It’s a unique look at a person’s ability to fight through weakness and find might. Everyone can gather strength from this story. During college, Dad ate his meals in the university cafeteria. With all its choices, there are always a few that don’t measure up. In this particular cafeteria, my dad’s overlooked choice was beets. After a few months of seeing those beets,

“Where are all these babies coming from?” the villagers asked as they pulled babies from the stream. Every day there were more babies to be rescued, so they built special equipment to pull the babies from the water and hired people to care for them. They struggled to feed them. And, even though the number continued to increase, they never went upstream to see where all the babies were coming from. This is where we are today in relation to food-relief efforts. Since the recession of the ’80s,

What do misers do? Like idolaters, they hoard objects that stand in for their heart’s true desire. Instead of valuing the potential, the miser continually craves gold even while grasping it, confusing it for an end in itself rather than a symbol of purchasing power. We are not Scrooge or Silas Marner -- but similar tendencies on a smaller scale are normal. In Petrarch’s fourteenth-century sequence of sonnets, the speaker tries to possess his beloved’s beauty as an end in itself that conforms to

When we think about intimate relationships, we usually think about intimacy between two people. And it’s pretty normal to find it challenging to allow others see us as we truly are – faults and all. However, there’s another type of intimacy that can be just as difficult for some – something called self-intimacy. This is about making time to reflect on who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. It also helps you reconnect with the person you are when you show up in relationships.

Americans are inundated by news stories that exhaust and exasperate us, but we should not overlook a truly significant event. While we were distracted, the Republican Party either lost or sold its soul. In two votes, Republicans abandoned their identity as the party of limited government, balanced budgets, and reducing the debt. In short order, the party legislated a tax cut and a spending bill that may have merit but surely will balloon the deficit and the debt. Republicans used to be the party

There’s a twisted tree outside my window. The bark is peeling. There are gashes, like open wounds. The limbs are gnarled, covered with small, round, bulges. I see a monument to time and aging and think about how the human frame is much like this tree. Those bumps are like moles and blemishes -- beauty marks some would say, but many still see them as intrusions. On this tree, however, they are respectful. They add dimension to the mystery and patterns of nature. They add beauty to a living

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 every year. It commemorates the ongoing fight for women’s equality. While the first observance of a Women's Day was held February 28, 1909, in New York, March 8 was suggested by the 1910 International Woman's Conference to become an "International Woman's Day." In 1975, it was adopted by the United Nations. For most people, this day will pass quietly without much fanfare. Make no mistake: Women are organizing around the world to bring justice,

My dad, Robert Botterman, was the most interesting sports fan I ever met. He enjoyed all sports, particularly college basketball. He loved the annual NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and, while Dad passed away several years ago, I remember the joy he experienced during the tournament’s run. Dad enjoyed watching sports on TV, and he read two daily newspapers. He started each day with a cup of coffee and the sports section from the local newspaper. Dad had a gift for sports statistics and could

I grew up watching westerns. “Gunsmoke” was part of my family’s Saturday night ritual, during which I’d be polishing my fingernails for church the next day. In retrospect I think Miss Kitty -- the Long Branch Saloon madam -- got planted in my psyche as a strong female role model. Of course I was naïve about her profession; I just liked her independent spirit and her red hair. As an adult, hers was one of my favorite Halloween personas to adorn. I didn’t think much about guns back then. I had toy