My wife was away leading a retreat, and I was at home alone. I decided to cook myself a fairly simple meal with what we had on hand: chicken, rice, some...

For several years I’ve been collecting heart-shaped rocks. It began on a vacation in Joshua Tree, California. My husband and I were rock climbing; at one particularly difficult spot, I was...

Soon after my father died, I was cleaning out his garage and realized some of his tools had gone missing. I immediately suspected that my two troublesome siblings had sold them...

I spent many of my early years in the American Midwest. Some consider Midwestern states flyover country, but this does not accurately depict the land or its rich resources. The Midwest...

In the summer before my senior year of high school, I worked as a waitress at an inn in New Hampshire. As I sat on the front porch steps waiting for...

We have an avocado tree on our property. When in season, the tree is so fruitful that our family of seven struggles to eat all the avocados. Often when I travel...

On my last vacation, I was going to be out of town less than a week, so I decided to take only a carry-on and a personal item. However, after packing...

One morning I woke up with a stiff neck and a throbbing headache. I have arthritis in my neck from a past injury that causes occasional headaches, but this one was...

Every week I travel 20 kilometers by bus to my workplace. One summer day on the bus, I sat next to a couple traveling with their young son. They only had...

I was attempting to process a document for the senior center where I volunteer, but the sender wanted an electronic signature. On a good day I can master email, but I...