I discovered Etty Hillesum years ago as I researched my Holocaust novel The Hamsa. My cousin Mary Ann from Indiana suggested I read the diary Ms. Hillesum wrote prior to her incarceration and subsequent murder in Auschwitz in November 1943. Titled An Interrupted Life, her complete diary was not published until 1986. In it, she …
Author Archives: tVM
Simon Sinek and “Glow Kids”
Until an hour ago, I did not know who Simon Sinek is. My youngest son Jesse suggested that I watch a YouTube presentation by Mr. Sinek titled “This Is Why You Don’t Succeed.” I took Jesse’s suggestion and invested 16 minutes to watch the presentation. I consider what Mr. Sinek tells us so important that …
Hans Teaches Us Patience
Hans is aging quickly. He is 15-years old. It has been over a year since he could negotiate stairs. We have a ramp on the stairs leading to our front door just for him. Now, he has difficulty even standing up. Five out of every seven nights of the week, he will bark in the …
Forgiving Garrison Keillor
This morning, I forgave Garrison Keillor for his transgressions real or imagined. I sent him my words of forgiveness through the contact form on his website. Garrison Keillor You may or may not know Garrison Keillor or anything about him. I know him as a magical writer who has brought smiles to the masses with …
Minimizing the Common Cold with Zinc
Few physical ailments make routine life more miserable than the common cold particularly when it threatens to emerge during the summer. The Dreaded Sore Throat Yesterday morning, I woke up with the dreaded sore throat. Most colds are caused by a type of virus called rhinovirus, which thrives and multiplies in the nasal passages and throat …
Loon Lake
Although I lived many years at the base of the Adirondack Mountains in Holland Patent, NY, I have never seen a loon. I read Loon Lake when E.L. Doctorow published it in 1980. We lived in Upstate New York at the time, but I remember little about the book. I do recall that I enjoyed …
Making the World a Better Place
I know for certain that THE MOST EFFECTIVE way to make the world a better place to be is by greeting, smiling and waving at every creature – man, woman, child, animal, and plant – you encounter throughout the day. Those simple gestures go much farther than any dollar you could contribute to the most …
The Presence of God
Sometimes it is easy to imagine the presence of God. Sometimes it is not.
The Ragamuffin Gospel
The best ‘spiritual’ book I have ever read is The Ragamuffin Gospel, and I discovered it through my association with the late great singer-songwriter Rich Mullins. I wrote about it four years ago in a post titled “Ragamuffin.” I am still far from all the answers and I remain a seeker, but The Ragamuffin Gospel …
“My Sister Died of an Overdose”
The Summer 2018 issue of Plough Magazine focuses on ‘medicine’ and is appropriately titled “The Soul of Medicine.” While every article packs a punch, one article in particularly- “Let Me Stand” – struck me with the force of a powerfully swung two-by-four landing squarely in the center of my forehead. Humanizing Medicine As readers of …