Lunchboxes, Courage, and the Lessons Boys Should Learn.
My cousin Emily has a 10-year-old son named Ryker. Ryker is full of curiosity, energy, and a love for cats that is as big as his heart. When he got his new lunchbox—bright, colorful, and adorned with cats—he was thrilled….
A Lifetime of Care: Ilkka and Kaija’s Mission to Clean the World.
Ilkka and Kaija aren’t your typical retirees. In fact, “retirement” isn’t a word that really fits them at all. For the past eight years, this remarkable couple from Southern Finland has dedicated themselves to leaving the planet a little bit…
The $5 Coffee: A 4-Year-Old’s Lesson in Kindness.
A few months ago, my husband and I found ourselves at the kitchen table, papers spread in front of us, talking about money. Not in passing, not lightly, but really talking—going over bills, weighing expenses, trying to figure out how…
A Simple Act, A Lasting Impression.
Last week, my husband and I were at the Houston Medical Center, grabbing breakfast from a small BBQ place tucked into the corner. The morning was busy, the usual hum of conversations blending with the clatter of plates and the…
A Lesson in Kindness at 30,000 Feet.
Today, I flew to Boise, and what I witnessed on that flight was nothing short of extraordinary—a moment of human kindness so powerful that I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. In my row, a sweet, quiet man sat, his…
The Door That Held Their Childhood.
We weren’t planning to take it with us. The house was sold. Every room emptied. The boxes were packed, the final closing documents waiting to be signed. And yet, when I saw that closet door one last time, something inside…
The Richest Family in Church.
I’ll never forget Easter of 1946. I was fourteen, my little sister Ocy was twelve, and my older sister Darlene was sixteen. We lived at home with our mother, and life was not easy. Our father had died five years…
A Promise to My Dad: Love in Every Everyday Moment.
Many, many years ago, I made a promise to my dad—a promise that no matter what, I would do everything in my power to keep him out of a care home. At the time, I didn’t truly understand what that…
A Quilt from My Mama: Love That Crossed Time and Distance.
When I was a little girl, I was raised in the Amish/Mennonite way. Life was strict, sometimes harsh, and the rules were unyielding. But in the midst of that rigid world, there was one soft, warm light: my Mama. She…
The Jordan That Changed My Day: A Stranger’s Kindness I’ll Never Forget.
It all started yesterday, an ordinary day at Greenwood High School that would turn into something unforgettable. I was heading into the gym to get ready for lunch when I noticed Tay, a guy from my class, looking right at…