Connecting the Dots Archive

  • When you’re stuck in the middle

    When you’re stuck in the middle

    Several years ago, to honor our grandmother and raise awareness (and $10,000!) for breast cancer, my sister and I walked nearly 60 miles over three days. I expected the physical demands to be intense, but what surprised me most was the profound, lasting emotional impact…

  • The map to freedom began with a book

    The map to freedom began with a book

    As a kid, poet Reginald Dwayne Betts loved books and developed an early fascination of speed reading. He couldn’t afford formal lessons, so he checked out a book on the subject from his local library instead – the last book he borrowed before going to…

  • Wearing knives on your feet or throwing yourself down a mountain

    Wearing knives on your feet or throwing yourself down a mountain

    The Winter Olympics in Italy have delivered a captivating mix of fun, drama, intrigue, and humor – a much-needed escape from a world that feels on fire most days. As spectators, we’re taken in by the spectacle and skill of these extraordinary athletes, and we’re…

  • Why these monks walked 2,300 miles from Texas to DC

    Why these monks walked 2,300 miles from Texas to DC

    When Buddhist monks leave their monasteries and temples, it’s with good reason. So when about 20 monks with roots around the globe started walking in late October last year from Ft. Worth heading in the direction of Washington, D.C., people took notice. And by the…

  • Are we not good enough?

    Are we not good enough?

    When the preteen girls of the South Morningside Primary School football team in Scotland (American soccer) won the highly regarded Edinburgh Schools cup last summer, they were elated. They soundly beat their opponent 5-2 in the finals, after narrowly getting through the semi-finals in a…

  • It’s not (entirely) about the truck

    It’s not (entirely) about the truck

    Mo Riles’ green ride was hard to miss. People were quick to give him the side-eye as he drove the dilapidated vehicle around town. Even more threw out insults as they posted pictures on social media. “Being held together by a thread. And duct tape!”…

  • How doing what she loves makes a real difference in Ukraine – one animal at a time

    How doing what she loves makes a real difference in Ukraine – one animal at a time

    The headlines from Ukraine often capture the heartbreak of war – the pain, the loss, and the upheaval experienced by the country’s residents. Yet amid the devastation, American veterinary surgeon Dr. Colleen Lambo saw a different kind of suffering and felt compelled to act. As…

  • A stranger’s bold move in a Paris cathedral

    A stranger’s bold move in a Paris cathedral

    A friend told me a story recently that stuck with me. Would I make the same bold move a stranger did for my friend, for someone I had never met and would likely never see again? Would you? Hear the story and judge for yourself.…

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