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Most people try to avoid prickly situations. You know, those awkward, uncomfortable moments when one says or does the wrong thing, which is embarrassing for all concerned. The customs and procedures most people consider “good manners” resulted from the need to have standards of social conduct that govern courteous, considerate human interaction.
When I was five or six years old, I asked my mother, “Why is Easter called Easter?” It was a full ten years later when I finally understood the real answer to my question.
My mother struggled in trying to explain why Easter was so named. Mother was religious, but she is not the only religious person to struggle with the answer to this question.
The Catholic...
Nothing has divided Britain more over the past 40 years than the question of its place in Europe. It joined the nascent EU in 1973 for economic reasons—with the assurance that there was no political dimension involved.
But after the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 revealed the political ambitions of the EU, establishing itself as a political entity in its own right, a...
Jesus Christ loved children. Knowing how precious and valued they are, He said: “‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them and blessed them...
Who is a friend in need? There are few things as satisfying in life as a good friendship. Children crave friendships intensely, and we continue to cherish our friendships through life’s waning years. The “texting” shorthand “BFF”—“Best Friend Forever”—speaks to a heartfelt desire that is almost universally felt. Who would not want a friend with whom we can share...
Pranks, practical jokes and general foolishness are the hallmark of April Fools’ Day, celebrated by many around the world on April 1st of every year. What is it all about? Is it just harmless fun? Are silly shenanigans, playful pranks or stupid stunts really harmless?
When I was a boy, my grandmother used to send our family copies of a Pennsylvania newspaper, Grit, which published only good news. Grit displayed news and features aimed at rural America, and climbed to a weekly circulation of 100,000 by 1900, and reached nearly half a million by its 50th anniversary in 1932. Grit is still printed today as a bimonthly magazine,...
On January 27, a number of national and international events took place as part of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. It was on that day in 1945 that over 7,000 prisoners were liberated from the Auschwitz concentration camp in southern Poland.
Some time ago, I was traveling down the interstate when a most surprising thing happened. We were in the middle of a snowy day (which is actually not the surprising thing, considering January weather in upstate New York, where my family and I lived at the time). What was surprising, however, was the cascade of snow, ice, and gravel that landed on top of our...
I came across a bag of keys collected over a few decades. The keys were from cars, apartments, houses, and offices that my wife and children and I have had over the years.