Valentine’s Day is perfectly situated in the middle of winter to bring the warmth of love and friendship to our hearts. It is a day to celebrate love, but also a day to celebrate friendships. Winter days seem to stretch on and on after the excitement of Christmas is over. It’s easy to feel stuck […]
Reflection. The word comes to the English language from the Latin reflectere meaning “to bend back.” When you look in a mirror, light bends back towards you and with a little magic behind the glass, you see an exact image of yourself. Another way to use this word is to give “unhurried consideration of something […]
Ever taken a cruise? Enjoyed the height of luxury and comfort, being waited on 24/7, denied nothing? Thanksgiving begins with such a journey…a ship crossing an ocean…and that’s where the parallels end. Forty men, women and children known as “Separatists” boarded a boat offering zero comfort and fewer promises of survival with sixty-two other passengers […]
When you think of a language learner, what age do you think of? Maybe someone who is 3 years old, 6 years old, teenagers, people in their 20’s, and people in their 30’s? How many of you have someone who is over 70 years old in mind? Well, despite the common perception that older people “can’t” learn another […]
10…9…8…7…6…5…4… So, what are your resolutions for 2021? C’mon…you know everyone is going to ask. But the question no one is going to ask at the stroke of midnight…what IS a resolution exactly? The generally accepted notion is one of fleeting whims we feel obligated to make for self-improvement, like losing 25 pounds or eating healthy this year […]
Most everyone on the planet cannot wait to see it come to an end. Millions, if not billions of hearts are filled with hope that 2021 will by some miracle be a far sight better. Having faced unprecedented challenges this year, many are looking to the goal line of December 31st as some sort of magical […]
A degree of separation is a measure of social distance between yourself and others. The more you want to stand out in a crowd, the higher the number of degrees you want to ‘separate’ (meaning to distinguish) yourself from others. In many ways, the process of obtaining citizenship in the United States is determined by degrees. If you […]
Routines. Like the seasons, life is ever changing and yet we crave the stability of routines. We come to expect the sun rising in the morning and setting every evening, an occasional thunderstorm but mostly blue skies and birds whistling happy tunes. Then something comes along and upsets our expectations. A hurricane hits, a volcano […]
Moksha Patam. Snakes and Ladders. Chutes and Ladders. No matter the name, the game is the same…roll the dice…advance from square to square making your journey from start to finish. When you land on a space with a ladder, you excitedly leap ahead reveling in your good fortune. But land on a snake and you […]
While many people who come to the United States pursue citizenship, many more do not…but why? Is it too difficult? Too scary? Are emotions clashing? The answers to these questions are often, “Yes, yes, and yes.” The result can be a paralyzing fear that leads to inaction. Let’s talk about it, and perhaps the answers […]