I love these little people, and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.~Charles Dickens My son Dmitry was six years old when we adopted him, after he’d spent his entire life in a children’s home in Russia. It was love at first sight for us. But the first few months here were difficult and stressful for Dmitry, who had to adjust to an entirely new life and a new...

Everything that occurs in your life is part of God’s plan to wake you up.~Leonard Jacobson Ronnie is disabled and lives in an efficiency apartment on the other side of town. I used to take care of him when I was a nursing assistant, and we remained good friends even after I left the field. One evening last week, I visited Ronnie. As I got ready to leave, we noticed his precious tabby cat Butt...

The better I get to know men, the moreI find myself loving dogs.~Charles de Gaulle The year my daughter was born, I was struggling with many issues. My husband chose to leave our marriage to seek a more carefree lifestyle. I owned a home that was a money pit, and my funds were limited as I was working on a freelance basis so that I could parent my daughter. And, as all new parents are, I was...

When watching after yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself.~Buddha In my dreams, a turquoise Buddha circled my bed, round and round, week after week. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant dream nor was it a nightmare. It was more of an informative one, urging me to understand something I knew nothing about. As the dream continued to appear each nigh...

The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.~Pierre Corneille My courageous and selfless mother, at age seventy-nine, died from breast cancer. Her name was Betty. She asked for one thing only — that she make it to her eightieth birthday. She believed that if she made it to eighty, she could consider her life long and well lived. We focused on that birthday. When Mom lay dying in July, sh...