Peace within the Paradox By Carolina Sagebin Allen This month’s tenet, “We are each unique and innately worthy of respect,” can present a paradox of seeing each person as unique, yet feeling knit together in unity as we appreciate one another’s uniqueness. We feel that each individual is part of a single mortal family. We…
I have a basket of seashells I purchased from a vendor when I was on vacation nearly 20 years ago. They have varying shapes, sizes, and colors. That is why I love them. Some are similar, but none are exactly the same. If they were all the same, they would not be as beautiful. It…
Someone cuts you off in traffic. Your first response is anger, but then you see that sign: “Student Driver.” Because you recognize the driver’s inexperience and likely trepidation, you shrug and remember some of your first experiences behind the wheel. In a sense, you take a glimpse of the driver’s heart and see this young…
Here is a story for you. I walked into the museum early, before the sun was up, before the air had warmed, before the presence of others marred the still quiet contemplation that you can find in the presence of great art and the absence of great noise. The gallery was almost deserted, and I…
Happy New Year! My family New Year’s greeting is often, “May the New Year be filled with health and prosperity.” The ozone soup that we eat first thing on New Year’s Day is filled with ingredients cut in a round shape to symbolize coins. Eating plenty of symbolic coins assures us that the New Year…
Growing up amid the beautiful green hills of North Carolina, Sarah Anderson appreciates the natural beauty of her hometown of Durham. Although she has lived in Utah, Georgia, and Florida for brief periods of time, she always returns to North Carolina. “I love it! It is beautiful, green, but most of all there is not…
Each time a new technology alters our society there is a necessary adjustment period. This was true centuries ago with the introduction of a written alphabet, and it was true only a few decades ago with the introduction of computers and the internet. These things are completely standard today, but that came with growing pains…
Melissa Crutchfield, director of Community Impact for Episcopal Relief and Development, explains some of the work she is involved with through her organization to help people find the power within themselves to improve and change.
Changing the World Word by Word Shelli Spotts is a writer. She holds a master’s degree in creative writing, belongs to a writers’ group, and teaches college students writing and composition. You will see she has mastered the art of writing when you read her work and experience her poetic gift of weaving a tapestry…
I have a mental picture I carry of my four children. It is of a blustery day on a rugged Oregon beach, black rocks jutting out of the water, the sky a washed-out blue overhead. In rolled up jeans and sweatshirts zipped tight against the cold July day they are busy flirting with the crashing…