Here are a few lessons I’d like to share for the Next Generation from my 85 years of living. Our Neighborhood As a kid in the city, we played with every kid on our end of the block; race or creed didn’t matter. We were each an equal part of our playing community. Our friends…

There are some courtesies that used to be considered common, but essential, for children. They seem to be fading away with civility for children and adults alike, and I miss them. I am listing a few of them below. 1. If you say you’ll be there, be there, even if a better offer comes along….

I was born in the year 1947 and have lived a very full life and learned many lessons over the years. In my early years, right was right and wrong was wrong. It was not hard to tell the difference. Today that is not so true. Situation ethics have become the rule too many times…

Dear Next Generation, Air raid drills and table manners! What a blend of “stuff” we had to learn in those unsettled years, 1934 to 1945! My brother and I lived with a lot of rules. Our Daddy was like other Daddies: He put on a suit and white shirt and tie every morning like all…

The most important message I’ve tried to impart to my grandchildren is the virtue of gratitude. Too often we see ourselves as victims and lament the perceived injustices against us. We dwell on negatives and are easily offended. The result is unhappiness and depression. Gratitude is the opposite. It is the positive feeling of looking…

Throughout our lives, we all confront the challenge of rejection in our personal relationships, at school, the workplace, and so on. Of course, some folks struggle with this sense of loss more than others. How individuals deal with rejection can partially shape the trajectory of their lives. Some people can expect the worst if they…

I’m a 91-year-old woman, mother of three, and great-grandmother of six. The following list is what I’ve learned during my lifetime. Some of the things I’ve learned by experience, as I haven’t always adhered to these principles. I’ve been to the school of hard knocks, and I’ve learned these things to be true. 1. Be…

Dad says to: Be proud of who you are. You’re unique. Be careful with your words. They can easily hurt. Love with all your might. It’s all worth the risk. Laugh a lot. It’s good for your emotional and physical being. Cry when you need to. It’s God’s way of cleansing. Dream. Never stop dreaming….

Hurtful Words Using your imagination, imagine a 4-by-4 oak timber. Imagine a large nail. Now take the nail and drive it deeply into the log, not so deep that you cannot pull it out again, but very deep. Now pull it out with your claw hammer. As you look at it you realize the hole…

There is little I have written in my life that I have agonized over more than something this simple. After 40 years of teaching at colleges and universities part-time with both undergraduate and graduate students (along with my business career as a manager, director, and three-time vice president for various health care organizations), I know…