LifeWays
August 12, 2018 I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars. — Augustine “Og” Mandino Last night and tonight are the best nights of the year to witness the Perseid meteor showers. Mary Stewart Adams, star lore historian, says, “It was …
August 5, 2018 This is the power of gathering. It inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful; in a word, more alive. -Alice Waters This is a time of year for gathering. In my region of the country, …
July 29, 2018 Leisure makes the human more human by engaging the heart and broadening the vision, deepening the insight and stretching the soul. Joan Chittister As a mom, I remember there were many times when I felt like relaxation was an elusive reward that I would not get to enjoy until my …
July 21, 2018 Air is the voice sounding from the depths of matter, the word made flesh. – Scott Russell Sanders, Writing from the Center A cool breeze on a hot day, or a mighty gale that knocks us off our center, the element of air blows where it will. It also lives within …
July 15, 2018 Love is the greatest refreshment in life. – John Lennon Last week I was on vacation with my husband’s family in Door County, Wisconsin. There were about twenty of us in one house, and it was as fun and wonderful and chaotic as a family vacation with twenty people should be. Each …
July 1, 2018 May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right. – Peter Marshall Independence Day has always been my favorite holiday. Gathering with the whole community for the parade in the morning and then later under the stars for …
June 24, 2018 My soul is in the sky. ― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream We are at the time of the year when we in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate the sun, with the longest of days being the Summer Solstice on June 21st. More commonly in Europe and other parts of the world, there are …
June 17, 2018 My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. -Clarence Budington Kelland As we work to break down gender stereotypes, one finds oneself pondering the question, “Is there really a difference between mothering and fathering? Isn’t it all simply parenting?” I remember an illuminating …
June 10, 2018 School’s out, and for many of us that means family vacations. When I was a kid, our vacations mostly involved driving long distances, a forced togetherness that often induced squabbling but also created lasting memories. There is an openness and a vulnerability that accompanies leaving one’s home and familiar routines to encounter …
June 3, 2018 “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. – Annie Dillard The Living Arts are nourishing practices that help us meet the developmental needs of the young child. They are comprised of what LifeWays’ founder Cynthia Aldinger categorized as: practical tasks of the household like cooking, repairing, sweeping, polishing, and washing; social …