Each fall in my youth, my grandmother got the JCPenney Christmas catalog. With a zealous delight, I spirited it away to ponder its marvelous images. These days, those images show up on our smartphones daily—the algorithmic distillation of our hopes and dreams, a personalized feed tailored to us. It’s easy to get lost in them. […]
Late autumn 1941. The Sunday service had just concluded. As their father lingered at the little north-country church, my dad and his siblings walked the short distance home. When their father came up the snowy hill to the farmhouse, he was crying. He’d just learned Pearl Harbor had been bombed. His sons—my dad included—would be […]
Rosie’s birthday celebration was unforgettable. The food was tasty, the table banter was fun, and the presence of her first grandson was icing on the cake! These good things, however, paled in view of her two sons’ tributes to her. Though Rosie’s marriage didn’t last, her exceptional skills as a single mom marked her sons. […]