A well-known and highly respected political commentator recently announced he only has a few weeks to live.  He was recovering from an operation and almost ready to return to work when he received the devastating news.  His colleagues read his letter, talking about his medical diagnosis and what he called “the final verdict.”   Saying […]

     This morning I was surprised to see another “successful” person had taken their own life.  Reactions to a recent “celebrity” suicide were still spreading across the news sites.  These people seemed to have it all and had reached the pinnacle of fame and fortune but chose to end their lives.   With millions dreaming of

I am off today to celebrate the US Holiday “Memorial Day.” Because we are living in Beijing, China, there are few visible signs of the significance this day holds, other than the flag at half-staff at the US Embassy. The definition of a “memorial” is “something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event,

     We are celebrating Memorial Day in the US (May) and the birthdays of several friends.  Celebrating our friend’s birthdays is easy to understand, especially if they are good people.  What if the person isn’t “good” and is wasting the life they were given?  Celebrating Memorial Day is different, because we are honoring the sacrifice

     I was assigned to Majuro, the Marshall Islands for two years and lived on the edge of a 175 square mile lagoon.  I could sit in my living room and watch freighters and huge tuna boats make their way to the port.  The other side of the atoll was barely visible on the horizon.