Busyness is a hallmark of our modern lives. It’s proudly paraded in our culture as though a busy life is equivalent to a meaningful one. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear the boast beneath people’s busyness. A calendar full of commitments is our adult version of a Girl Scout’s sash full of merit badges....
Examine the marketing materials for most aid and development organizations, and you’ll notice that children are prominently featured in everything from clean water to refugee resettlement. Sometimes they’re depicted as desperate, wide-eyed, malnourished, and alone. Other times, images portray children flashing wide grins, full of energy and unbridled hope for the future. The innocence of...
At the end of Christmas day, my son looked up from his sugar-coma on the couch and sadly lamented, “I can’t believe that Christmas is already over.” I understood how he felt. In between the untangling and stringing lights, the gift-shopping, and cookie-baking, there’s so much sweet anticipation of Christmas. Hallmark and the cheerful...