Happy Valentine’s Day, with love

Happy Valentine’s Day, with love

My dad used to swing by Wilmar’s Chocolates every Valentine’s Day to pick up a large heart for my mom and four smaller ones for my sisters, my brother and me. Some of us wolfed down those candies the day we received them, others savored each piece slowly, stretching that sweet little box out for [...]

What is real? Honoring the profound, abiding beauty of the soul

What is real? Honoring the profound, abiding beauty of the soul

Some cultures choose November to celebrate the eternal and transitory nature of the human soul. With optimistic hospitality, they build small altars offering traditional gifts and familiar décor, believing the soul returns annually for a brief period to visit the humans it left behind. I like to think that's true. Who wouldn't want to spend a cool autumn evening [...]

A wedding story told on the fabric of life

A wedding story told on the fabric of life

Six dresses formed perfect metaphors as we filed past on our way into Casey and Juston Johnson's wedding reception Saturday. Strong thread on delicate fabric, they represented love, perseverance, humor, frugality, faith and respect. The dresses belonged to the mothers and grandmothers of the bride and groom, but their stories touched us all. Written in [...]