A good friend and I recently spent a weekend at the Benedictine monastery in Erie, Pennsylvania. We each had a “hermitage” of our own in the nearby woods; hers was named for St. Scholastica. It’s known among the sisters as “Stilts.” The first evening, my friend and I talked at “Stilts” until about 10 p.m.,… Continue reading Of Flashlights, Woods, Friends, and 150 Steps
Category: Friendship
Dying Dreams
One of the most difficult nights of my life occurred just about eight years ago. It was the night that Manny, The Best Dog Who Ever Lived, lost the use of his hind legs. It hadn’t been a great several months. I’d been fired at the end of July, and my search for a
Tattoos, Inside and Out
Do you ever think about getting a tattoo? It’s just never been something that appeals to me. I don’t even like to have blood drawn, much less let someone stick me with ink-filled
Ghosts of a Christmas Past
Six years ago today, I was back in full communion with the Catholic Church for the first time in decades. Tears streamed down my face as I approached my pastor, who was also