Stories

Randee Paraskevopoulos  shares how focusing too much on the rites of passage can take her away from enjoying the now: Birthdays can be a rite of passage. Thirteen when you become a teenager, 18 when you're legally an adult, 21 when you're "legal." After that the birthdays that matter are the milestones, the ones that end in a "0" or maybe a "5." I teased my husband when he turned 25 when I told him he'd outgrown a box of candles. I... Read More

Trey Parker considered his first year of college a rite of passage, but he had to handle many changes that most freshman never have to think about: I remember my first night of college. Not because it was full of whimsy and hopeful thoughts about the future. No. I remember it because a good friend of mine had to help me get undressed and ready for bed. He had agreed to be an attendant for me, and I am so grateful not just for him, but the other three who stepped forward to help... Read More

Sherrill Johnston discovered benefits of serving that she didn't know existed: A few years back I was invited to be the keynote speaker for the State of Alabama’s Hospital Auxiliary Volunteer annual conference. The suggested topic for the conference was "The Healing Power of Volunteering." At the time my work was heavily involved in recruiting and training over 700 persons annually for short-term missions to various sites in South America - so it seemed natural that I would be... Read More