How often do we begin sentences with “you” when what we really mean is “I”? How frequently does a tiny shift in language turn cooperation into resistance?

My Teddy Bear turned 84 this year. That sentence alone surprises me a little. Eighty-four years is a respectable life for a human, let alone a small stuffed animal. Yet there he is, slightly threadbare, unmistakably himself, now living with my granddaughter Chloe. I am 87 in 2026. Chloe is 18. We are separated by nearly seven decades, and yet we meet comfortably in the same soft place. We both love Teddy bears. That shared affection is not accidental. It sits at the intersect

Intergenerational friendships offer more than nostalgia; they provide wisdom, resilience, and a shared rhythm that enriches our lives.

Acting your age at five means learning how the world works. It means testing boundaries. At eighty-seven, it means stewarding perspective, staying engaged, and refusing to shrink just to make others comfortable.

Recently, our family had spread out across the evergreen mountain forest, each of us searching for “the perfect tree.”

People grow when they earn something. They wither when rewards arrive, divorced from effort. Eating an apple gives you a moment. Growing an orchard gives you a future.

The Foundation, at its heart, isn’t about telling young people what to think. It’s about giving them the tools, confidence, habits, and intellectual courage to think for themselves.

What My Firstborn Taught Me About Trust, Control, and Growing Up (Together) My firstborn, Photo taken by Laurence Vannicelli. I’ve carried this story for years. Not because anyone asked me to tell it, but because it now shapes how I see growth, trust, and independence. It’s a reflection on parenting, leadership, and the quiet work of letting go.  When my daughter was born, love and fear arrived together. She came too fast, too strong, too determined. The delivery room shifted

"I’ve been the beneficiary of many people lending a hand along the way. But a few, at just the right time, gave me guidance that changed the course of my life." -Bill Reynolds

What Is (and Isn’t) Grace. “Maybe I should give her grace,” Mary said. “She’s going through a lot.” I paused. “Is she ever not  going...

Reach out to us if you think you have the passion to take your ideas to the world of K-12 education.

I hugged him one more time. Told him he had everything he needed to do anything he wanted. Then I watched him walk away. My heart wasn’t so much hollowed out as it was like taking apart a jigsaw puzzle. Its pieces were scattered, no longer fitting together. 

My sister Joan and I. "To enhance educational opportunities and empower youngsters to pursue a life of meaning ." That’s the vision of...

Rejection is just redirection. One of the most valuable things I’ve learned in college? How to fail — and more importantly, how to turn...

Humor and humility are the key to true success.

Because who I was at 17 doesn’t get to decide who I am at 20. I sit here on my high horse at twenty years old, looking back at my younger...

College teaches you how to structure an argument, cite sources, and maybe even cook a passable meal—but it doesn’t teach you how to say...

A letter for those watching the door close behind their graduating senior  You're Not Alone. This season can feel like emotional...

What's the secret to a happy life? Exercise!

o High School Seniors Struggling to Make a Decision... It’s go time. High school seniors, including mine, need to make their final...