- "I have one life and one chance to make it count for something . . . I'm free to choose what that something is, and the something I've chosen is my faith. Now, my faith goes beyond theology and religion and requires considerable work and effort. My faith demands -- this is not optional -- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference." - Jimmy Carter
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Tag Archives: parenting
On the Important Stuff, Before They Leave
It seems that, more and more lately, I am pondering what it will look like to launch our firstborn. It’s still two-and-a-half years away, but I have this thing I do. I think of it as my internal peace-making tool, … Continue reading
On the Important Stuff, Before They Leave
It seems that, more and more lately, I am pondering what it will look like to launch our firstborn. It’s still two-and-a-half years away, but I have this thing I do. I think of it as my internal peace-making tool, … Continue reading
On Walking to School
Do you know Lenore Skenazy? I know many of you do. She is a Mom living in New York City, raising children in New York City. A few years ago, she coined the term “free-range kids.” The sub-title of her book … Continue reading
On Twenty-First Century Learning
My grandmother, Dorothy Esther Roush Kuhlmann, grew up on a dairy farm in central Michigan. Her father, John Gabriel Roush, grew up on a grain farm, but decided with his wife, Emily Ann Gray Roush, to start a dairy farm … Continue reading
On Helicopter Parenting
Helicopter parenting is an interesting term du jour. I’m not sure when I first heard it: perhaps a year or two ago. My favorite on-line encyclopedia tells me that a: Helicopter parent is a colloquial, early 21st-century term for a … Continue reading
Aidan’s Questions
I came across this (former) même the other day and was amused. Aidan is my youngest. He’s 9 now (almost 10), but he was about 5 or 6 when he answered these questions. I find them sweet and developmentally fascinating. The … Continue reading
Thoughts on His Confirmation, from Mom
This is what I read to Austin on the afternoon of his confirmation: Austin Gray Merck My firstborn. Your arrival made me a mother, which has been the greatest joy and the greatest challenge of my life. Fourteen years later, … Continue reading
Thoughts on His Confirmation, from Dad
The next installment of our Confirmation presentations is from my husband and Austin’s father. This is what he read the afternoon of Austin’s Confirmation: On the occasion of your confirmation, I would like to offer a few thoughts about how important … Continue reading
The Confirmation of His Baptismal Vows
Our oldest son, Austin, was confirmed last weekend. Hal and I did not grow up in a tradition with confirmation, so this was a new experience for us. We were impressed by how Austin chose to embrace this opportunity to … Continue reading
