The Bells That Call

The words I hear I have heard before—the laughs and loves, the tears and cries. Somewhere beyond them, the bells keep ringing, calling the traveller home. Yet I do not know where home may be, whether I will be invited in when I arrive, or if the call was a call at all.

What Do You Want to Do?

What do you want to do? A simple question can reveal something surprisingly difficult: whether we know ourselves well enough to distinguish what is expected of us from what genuinely calls us forth, and whether we possess the Will to live accordingly.

The specificity of behavior

We are quick to turn an action into a characteristic: a person acts restlessly, and we call them restless. Yet behavior does not occur in isolation. It emerges within a particular situation, shaped by history, expectation, present state, and interpretation. Perhaps before deciding who a person is, we ought first to ask what circumstances brought the behavior forth.

To be struck by pride

We each inhabit a reality that no other person can fully enter. Yet how often do we expect others to know our burdens, our thoughts, and our needs without ever speaking them? An ordinary morning at a coffee shop became an unexpected lesson in pride, compassion, and the mystery of another person's inner world.

The Shape of an Attempt

Every artist knows the frustration of seeing an idea diminish as it reaches the page. Perhaps people are no different. Before judging another's words or actions, we might first ask a quieter question: What are they trying to express?

The Courage to Choose

Hearing that a close friend had found the courage to court the woman he loved led me to reflect on something far greater than romance. To choose another, and to be chosen in return, may be among the deepest responsibilities—and greatest miracles—of human existence.

A Molting Bird

A small bird flew into my home by mistake. What began as an ordinary encounter soon revealed something far less ordinary: how quickly I judged what I did not expect, and how easily compassion disappears when beauty gives way to decay.