The Silver Lining

Someone once told me that you don't drive a car looking in the rear-view mirror, you've got to keep LOOKING FORWARD! I am most definitely looking forward to starting a new year -- this past one has been a long strange ride. Do you prepare New Year's Resolutions?  I remember doing them as a child, writing on blue-lined notebook paper things like "Be kind," or "Be nicer to my sister."  I suppose I managed to keep those as well as a child could.  Hmm.  I will have to ask my sister.... As I grew older, the resolutions became more specific, I guess you'd say... like "Lose weight" and "Get more exercise" and "Get control of spending."  I can tell you for sure, they lasted usually about two weeks before I'd give up on them. Since "Resolutions" seemed like an instant recipe for failure, I eventually decided to ditch making them. Then a few years ago, I re-invented the process for myself. I recently ha...

"Family" usually indicates a group of people who are related by blood or marriage. But sometimes, a family can be created by deep and caring relationships between people who are not related at all. Such is the "International Family" that David and I claim. We both have an appreciation of different cultures and different countries, and we open our home to visitors from around the world. I remember as a child that I enjoyed reading stories about people in different countries. We had an old set of Childcraft Encyclopedias, and my favorite volume was "Life in Many Lands." I'd read a story, then dream about walking through the country I'd just read about. Living close to the University of South Carolina has a few advantages -- and one is that we've met some pretty amazing students from other parts of the world. Sasikumar, from Sri Lanka has a huge heart for the oppressed in this world, especially women who are often taken advantage of sociall...