Here in Orlando there are a lot of water bodies and sinkholes, happy homes for waterbirds and turtles.  At some of the larger lakes, water turtles cluster and circle thickly like coy when people offer them bread. Sometimes, they sun in groups of five or six on the buttress of a park bridge. They are harder to […]

It’s the 4th of July, and I’m feeling American and proud.  Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States. What a victory for America, said Barack Obama, praising those who had fought long and hard for the right over four decades. “Sometimes,” he said, “there […]

I still wear my blessing bracelet from an intergenerational service last fall. During the service, we honored our time together by giving a blessing as we tied a string around each other’s wrists. The blessings were not fancy. They were simple statements of goodwill:  “I wish you health and happiness,” or “I wish you friendship and good […]