Dearest Rachel – I don’t recall exactly when it was that you set things up so that your parents’ mail would arrive at our place. It would have been after you and I got them to agree to in-home nursing care (which they preferred to the idea of having to be placed in a retirementContinue reading “Mail for Your Mom”
Tag Archives: charity
A Burden Lifted, A Blessing Granted
Dearest Rachel – A kilo of corn meal, a kilo of sugar, a kilo of milk powder, a kilo of salt. A bag of beans and bouillon cubes. Two bags (as opposed to boxes like we have at home) of spaghetti, and a box of cornflakes. Candles and ketchup, toothpaste and soap. You pack allContinue reading “A Burden Lifted, A Blessing Granted”
Meaning Well Poorly
Dearest Rachel – You remember my reaction to the scattering of trash on the roads of Honduras when I was down here last time, and I’d mentioned about the ‘broken windows’ theory of governance in passing a few days ago. Well, on Thursday afternoon, I’d intended to put that theory into practice while dealing withContinue reading “Meaning Well Poorly”
Just Not My Scene
Dearest Rachel – You probably know what’s coming here. Back in the day I always used to believe that I wasn’t a picky eater; given a situation where it was called on to be polite, I’m able to eat anything… and yet, somehow I wind up balking when confronted with some of your mom’s cooking.Continue reading “Just Not My Scene”
Walking Away from the Runners
Dearest Rachel – It feels wrong, almost like cheating, to write to you about something I didn’t do over the past weekend. And yet, there’s been this sense that I owed you (or somebody) an explanation for this choice of activity – or rather, inactivity – this weekend, as I’m not out cheering the runnersContinue reading “Walking Away from the Runners”
More Than Just Money
Dearest Rachel – As with laughing at one’s own jokes, I realize full well that talking about the gifts one gives is, to put it mildly, bad form. Even Jesus himself condemned those who announced loudly when they presented their gifts to the temple (and essentially originating the expression “to blow one’s own horn,” asContinue reading “More Than Just Money”
Like a Drunken Sailor
Dearest Rachel – Most people would rather not be thought of as profligate when it comes to their spending habits; I certainly don’t. Sure, my family raised me to be generous with regard to giving (and I’ll get to that later on), but they also taught me to be prudent with what money came myContinue reading “Like a Drunken Sailor”
Palm Tuesday
Dearest Rachel – So, I stayed home yesterday in order to be with Daniel, and to make his day special. Far be it from me to claim that was a mistake; while there were still times that he seemed to need his space – and let me have mine – I think things worked outContinue reading “Palm Tuesday”
Letters to Rachel 