He was the toughest kid on the block. As 10-year-olds, we didn’t admit it, but we were afraid of him.
The "Hands Project," an unfinished collection by the late photographer Martin Lueders, contains pictures of hands from all over the world: Hands working, hands praying, hands fighting, hands creating.
What would Christmas be without light? We celebrate with lights on our homes, in our windows, on our trees, and each light is a small bit of praise to God. But we don’t have to wait until Christmas.
My former colleague Jenny, a journalist, has elevated cover letter-writing to an art form. No joke, she’s that good. Her cover letters have been circulating among media professionals for years as a gold standard for comparison.
It had been a bad day. Nothing had gone right. I was frustrated and angry and decidedly feeling sorry for myself. I took a long walk to the park and sat on a bench staring at the waves and wanting to do nothing more than lick my wounds and feel sorry for myself.
My mother never had difficulty staying awake—she would wait up for every family member until they were home safe in their beds. When the rest of us struggled to stay up past 10:30 to watch the Late Show, she could easily make it to the Late, Late Show.
Soon after Pope Francis was elected, it was reported that he sometimes went out at night in clerical—but not papal—garb to minister to the poor of Rome. “Vatican sources” said it wasn’t true, but there is something thrilling about a person of power who steps out of their usual role in order to experience a marginalized human condition.
Like many people my age, I had an inordinate childhood fear of quicksand. From movies and TV shows I learned that I couldn’t always count on the ground beneath my feet. I also learned, though, that the more you struggled, the faster you sank.
Sunday pasta is both a tradition and a ritual for many Italian families. Ours was no exception. Along with the pasta, the crusty bread, the red wine, the platter of meatballs, neck bones and ox tails cooked for hours in the sauce, there were always two bowls with sliced cucumbers and halved radishes sitting in iced water ready to be salted and popped into your mouth.
Zach was the co-worker who made life miserable for everyone in the office. He spent the better part of his days playing video games and made others work late to cover for him. He repeatedly ran over budget and blamed mistakes and excessive spending on junior partners. He minimized or ignored the success of anyone else and made snide comments about them.