In the novel, Les Miserables, the bishop of Digne is faced with the decision of how to treat men who were despised in the community because of their past behavior.  Those of you familiar with the story will likely remember the mercy and empathy he demonstrated to the main character and former convict, Jean Valjean, even after he has betrayed the …

While I was doing some research, I came across an old McCalls article from December 1959. I know, how could something written more than 50 years ago possibly have anything relevant about Christmas today? As it turns out their suggestions for making Christmas more meaningful seemed to be just what I needed. Christmas not only represents the giving of gifts …

When I was a little girl, I loved Christmas!  The anticipation of Christmas morning was almost more than I could bear.  On Christmas Eve I would wake several times in the night and tiptoe from my bed to the window, looking and listening for any signs or sounds of the coming of Christmas morning.  I still love celebrating Christmas, but …