I live half a block from a funeral home. Hearses come by all the time, familiar drivers waving happily at me from the front seats, just doing their everyday assignments. It isn't their mother being buried today. I always wave back, …( read more )

To every action there is a reaction. In turn, these actions and reactions create expectations. When someone behaves unexpectedly, we are surprised. When we do something that we didn't plan or expect, we are surprised. The most important …( read more )

I had been thinking about going to Egypt, off and on, for well over 50 years. It was one of the places that I wanted to learn about and see. During the 15 years when we worked and lived in Europe, we never went there, because at that time …( read more )

Oh, that shifty word, but! It has an uncanny way of reversing everything. For example, you just heard your superior list several remarkable qualities in you; and then comes that word, "but". You brace yourself, for whatever comes next …( read more )

Blowing soap bubbles and having them rise in iridescent splendour brings delight to young and old alike as we hope for the next bubble. Rainbow colours enchant the soul. "Happy" is the nearest word to describe how watching bubbles form …( read more )

Recently, I watched my grandson playing with some blocks. He was cheerfully building a tower by piling each brick one on top of the other. At some point, the tower became unstable, and he laughed loudly as the blocks tumbled down. He …( read more )

The Portuguese Man o' War is made up of millions of polyps called zooids. These zooids work together to function as a single organism. They differentiate so that some become dedicated to stinging, catching, defence, digestion, or …( read more )

As we turned out of the parking lot, I knew that it would be the last time. Both of my paternal grandparents' sides of the family had annual family reunions, but my family rarely attended. I barely knew many of those who did — people …( read more )

I have a habit of listening to, and inviting myself into, other people's conversations. So the other day, as I was making a purchase, I was intrigued by the clerk's comment: "I'm looking for shirt stays." "Shirt stays?" I inquired as I …( read more )

Recently, while I was at a local restaurant, I kept feeling a nudge in my spirit to go to a clothing store when I finished eating. As I arrived there, I recognized a homeless man named Mike. We struck up a conversation. "I can't give you …( read more )