On Monday, May 4th, our nation observed the 50th anniversary of the Kent State University campus shootings in Northeast Ohio. A defining moment in our nation’s social and political history, the deaths of four students, and injuries of nine others, represented the palpable divide that our country endured while thousands served overseas while serving in the Vietnam War. In fact, the American cultural divide over the Vietnam War was one I experienced quite personally and deeply. As the wife of a … [Read more...]
Bridging Cultures: My Trip to China and the Most Memorable Painting
In our current state of affairs, the United States and China are going through tremendous political differences. Leaders of both nations are clashing amid a trade war that has had long-term consequences for both countries. Considering the ongoing political divisions between China and the U.S., I have been thinking a great deal about my trip to China 20 years ago. The trip exposed me to China’s complex cultural histories, their giving people and inspirational stories. On my visit to both … [Read more...]
Reflections on the Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral
Watching reports of the conflagration at Paris’ 850-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral just a few days before the holiest day in the Christian calendar has reminded me of the fragility of our physical world. Known as a place of pilgrimage and prayer, Notre-Dame has often been referred to as the beating heart of Paris, and the building and its medieval art, holy relics and architecture has always felt to me like it was designed to last an eternity. How terribly sad and devastating to see such an … [Read more...]
More Alike than Different: Where Did You Come From?
Last month, I wrote two blogs (“A Rising Generation is Making its Voice Heard” and “Embracing the Concept of Spiritual Co-Existence”) about relationships I’ve formed with individuals of different cultures, ethnicities and religions from my own. It’s amazing what we can discover about one another when we’re willing to become vulnerable and open to exchanging new ideas about what it means to be human. These conversations have helped me reflect on my own personal history and my family’s roots in … [Read more...]
David’s Hands at Jackson Square; New Orleans, Louisiana
I find New Orleans to be one of America’s most iconic destinations, a unique mélange of distinct cultures, languages, flavors and smells, and a place where the discordant sounds of jazz, blues, early African, Caribbean, Creole, and zydeco music can be heard simultaneously from nearly every quarter. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting the Big Easy while attending a conference organized by the Independent Book Publishing Association Exhibit at the American Libraries Association. The … [Read more...]
