• Life Lessons

    The Day My Thanksgiving Failed

    “Can’t we try new recipes this Thanksgiving please!” my daughter asked. “We always eat the same dishes.” “I know,” I said. “I have a bunch of new recipes that look delicious, but I end up cooking our family traditional ones. I guess it makes me feel closer to those that’re so far away. “Do you remember our first Thanksgiving in this town?” I asked. “Not really,” she said. “Just that we were all alone. What happened?” Well, this is the story of our first Thanksgiving here…                                                …

  • Messages from Heaven

    Angel on the Sidewalk

    The bright sun and blue skies screamed Spring that Saturday afternoon. “I’m so sorry I can’t help you,” my husband said as he hugged me tight,” but you know that medical residents are expected to work long shifts and get no free weekends during first year of training.” We were in a new country, a new city and had no friends, which forced me to navigate my way through our new reality on my own. I grabbed the Yellow Pages, the only resource before cell phones and GPS’ existed, searching for a park in the area. Venturing out was an attempt to calm my lonely heart as much as our…

  • Life Lessons

    Do you Know how to Ski?

    “Hurry up, the race is starting!” my husband called. I grabbed the popcorn and rushed to the living room to watch the Winter Olympics’ ski competition. “How can they go down that mountain so fast without hitting all those trees?” I wondered. “Focus on what you want, not what might stop you,” he said. “That’s what the commentator explained.” My fingers raced to Google just the same. According to Rei.com: Scan the terrain ahead of you as you go so you can adjust to trees, rocks, stumps and other obstacles that may be in your way.  Don’t fixate on the trees, but rather the white spaces between them—this will help…

  • Life Lessons

    Are you a Tight Rope Walker?

    “Why are you covering your eyes?” my husband asked. “It’ll be over before you know it.” “I can’t look!” I cried, “What if he falls to his death?” We were watching a video of Nik Wallenda walking across a Grand Canyon gorge on a tight rope. My heart raced and stomach curled up in a knot. “Can you hear him?” he asked, “He’s praising and thanking Jesus!” I had to open my eyes to verify the unexpected declaration. In an interview afterwards he declared: “it took every bit of me to stay focused”. He said that dust had accumulated in his contacts and called the walk unusually stressful. However, he…

  • Life Lessons

    Are You a Tightrope Walker?

    “Why are you covering your eyes?” my husband asked. “It’ll be over before you know it.” “I can’t look!” I cried, “What if he falls to his death?” We were watching a video of Nik Wallenda walking across a Grand Canyon gorge on a tight rope. My heart raced and stomach curled up in a knot. “Can you hear him?” he asked, “He’s praising and thanking Jesus!” I had to open my eyes to verify the unexpected declaration. In an interview afterwards he declared: “it took every bit of me to stay focused”. He said that dust had accumulated in his contacts and called the walk unusually stressful. However, he…