by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
“Joy is the lantern that lights the way through the dark times and the motivator propelling us toward dreams.” (Moss) Carols are playing in the background of pre-Christmas festivities. The tree that stands so proudly in front of me is gaily lit with the...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Food
A conversation with a shopper in T.J. Maxx inspired this post. The shopper was admiring a festive display of Christmas crackers. Not the kind of crackers you eat. These are the kind that holds a surprise inside and is made from a paper tube and decorative paper....
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Grief, Spiritual
Grief lies between the light and the dark. Grieving is especially hard during the holiday season. Seeing sparkly tinsel, shiny gold and silver ornaments, or even light-adorned trees takes significant effort and may even be impossible. For many, Christmas cards hold a...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
Do you consider November as the charitable giving month? There’s a November day dedicated to giving, and that day is Giving Tuesday. It is always the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Since its inception in 2012, nonprofits have raised more than $1.9B. November...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
Thich Nhat Hanh, a philosopher known often as the “father of mindfulness,” wrote, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Sometimes a smile is all the connection we need. I once...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
Recently, I have had several random conversations about November. Many people expressed that they dread November because daylight hours are fewer, and they get depressed from not getting enough sunlight. Most of them said special indoor lighting helps and knowing that...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Spiritual
A few nights ago, I was preparing for a presentation. When I looked up from my computer, I saw the sweetest sky “ribboned” with stripes of bubble gum pink and baby blue. The kind of sky that makes you sigh and wish all of life could always be that sweet....
by Lillian Lake | | Stop Trafficking
“What we do as individuals is important. What we do as individuals collectively is even more important.” Together we are a Special Task Force. I feel it’s a privilege to have a space in which to write about human trafficking to create awareness...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Stop Trafficking
This week, my focus continues on the issue of sex trafficking and what parents can do to help prevent their children from becoming victims. Why now? As I pointed out two weeks ago, one reason is the significantly rising number of people trafficked worldwide. Two other...
by Lillian Lake | | Building Community, Stop Trafficking
Most of us wonder about the rate at which summer proceeds. I have yet to hear a believable explanation for the speedy passing of summer. And here we are two weeks into September! What has happened to Labor Day, school starting, and the first smells of autumn? They...
