Last year, Daniil Korotkikh, a 13-year-old Russian boy, was beachcombing on the Curonian Spit when he stumbled upon an old bottle poking out of the sand. He picked it up, uncorked it, and discovered a letter written 24 years earlier. Frank, a German boy on a ship to Denmark with his family, had... read more »

“The meaning of your life is the meaning you give it,” writes philosopher A. C. Grayling in his book Thinking of Answers. He suggests trying to create meaning in our lives through the pursuit of relationships and goals, by developing our talents and interests, and through our hopes and... read more »

Some years ago, I hopped aboard a plane in Simferopol, Ukraine, for a flight to Moscow. Officials had told me a separate Russian visa was unnecessary. They were wrong. Russian military stopped me at the plane’s door upon arrival in Moscow, detaining me overnight until they could stick me on a... read more »

Sometimes life is tedious. While self-help books promise endless passion for life and the mystics promise endless ecstasy, the reality is that many of our days are simply mundane. And they need to be. There are clothes to wash, forms to complete, toddlers to feed, drains to unclog, papers to write,... read more »

After recent surgery, I spent a week in a hospital room doing the recovery thing. Due to the site of my surgical procedure (the stomach), I was placed on a step-by-step diet plan. First came the clear liquids diet that I was on for several days. It featured jello, broths, and juices. Then came the... read more »

Sometimes life holds moments—and even needs— too deep for words. Not all silence comes from a desire to hide or pretend we’ve got life together. The reasons may be varied: Perhaps we feel the need to keep a rightful confidence or find that speaking puts another’s reputation at unnecessary... read more »

Genesis 2:7: The Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I find something very... read more »

I’m no gardener. The surest way to kill your flowers or vegetable plants is to ask me to care for them. So I marvel at those who are gifted at working with all things green and growing. Some gardeners have a practice (whether it is superstition or has merit, I can’t say) of talking to their... read more »

Most people say I look like my father. When I was in the third or fourth grade, a young girl looked at my dad and me and exclaimed, “Look, twins!” Like most sons, I was eager to grow taller and gain some muscle. I wanted to grow up and be like my dad. There wasn’t much I could do to make it... read more »

Our 7-year-old son, Seth, has a strong mischievous streak. Recently, well after bedtime, we heard the sounds of suspicious activity upstairs. I called to Seth in a firm tone, asking what he was doing since he was supposed to be in bed. Silence. Seth’s mind was rapidly sifting through any plausible... read more »