Lean Hard

My daughter Katy was sick, really sick.  It was four days before her wedding. We were in the middle of all kinds of wedding preparations, and Katy lay on the couch moaning in disbelief that she was about to get married. And her eyes were turning yellow. So I took her...

Facing Anxiety Attacks

What do you do when your daughter who’s getting married in a week is sick with mononucleosis? Well . . . for me . . . default reaction. Worry. Yes, okay, I’m subject to anxiety attacks. Probably not the clinically diagnosable kind: I don’t think I...

Writing About Triumph Like Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens loved England. Because of this love, he felt a deep sense of urgency to help his homeland change in important ways. He wanted people to care about the poor, to care about orphans, and to arise from their complacency. While his contemporary George...