Our youngest child, Madi, may be a spitting image of her dad and possess the wittiness of her mom but one thing she has that didn’t come from either of us is her creative talent in modern calligraphy. For being only fifteen years old, she is gifted with a level of artistic ability that makes even seasoned artists nod in admiration. As her mom, who never advanced past writing bubble letters on middle school folders, I am genuinely impressed with her work. I remind her regular

It had been a long week and I was tired from all the work involved with holiday preparations. In my youthful naivete I used to think Christmas was a magical time filled with warm wishes and wonder, but as I’ve become an adult, I now associate the holiday more with work and worry. The stockings hung by the chimney don’t just appear. Cookies don’t magically bake themselves. The Christmas tree doesn’t grow money and presents don’t just show up at your door wrapped beautifull