The Purpose
| This is the 230th story of Our Life Logs | I grew up without a hometown. As the eldest child of an active duty military pilot, much of my childhood was spent moving from state to state, wherever my dad was transferred. I was born in Hawaii in 1985, but by the time I was two we were out of the tropical paradise and back … Continue reading The Purpose
From Darkness to Light
| This is the 229th story of Our Life Logs | “One day, all that will end; one day, I will finally have peace and my tormented soul will find rest.” This phrase is what I repeated to myself every day to give me the courage to get out of bed, put one foot in front of the other, and go about my business. Every morning, … Continue reading From Darkness to Light
Lessons Learned
| This is the 228th story of Our Life Logs | The past cannot be rewritten. This is the price of lessons learned. My feelings of self-worth had never been more than a percentage point above 0 since growing up in an abusive and violent home. I had a mom who tried so desperately to survive the rages and abuses of my father that she had … Continue reading Lessons Learned
My Life Is Not a Tragedy
| This is the 227th story of Our Life Logs | I’m telling you what I remember. On March 23, 1975, I sat in the room I shared with my cousins, plagued by a great torment. The sun flowing through the crack of the window was not able to warm up the icy cold that was invading me at every thought of my future. I was … Continue reading My Life Is Not a Tragedy
I Am Who I Am
| This is the 226th story of Our Life Logs | From a very early age, I knew I had a unique identity. My favorite part of having mixed blood is to make people try to guess my nationality. A few will fold immediately, unable to read anything from my accent or features. Others give the wildest guesses; I’ve been called an Egyptian, Indian, African, Italian, … Continue reading I Am Who I Am
Gone Astray
| This is the 225th story of Our Life Logs | I grew up in the industrial town of Nakuru Rift Valley in the 1970s in Kenya, a little girl raised by a single mother who dutifully provided for her three children through her job as a fish monger in the Kisumu-Nakuru regions. While watching my mother work so hard, I wanted a better bargain at … Continue reading Gone Astray
Reckless Love
| This is the 224th story of Our Life Logs | Well, I grew up in the 1960s in the east side suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio—a place I like to call “The Jewish Capital of Ohio.” Jewish families (like my own) lined the streets of my neighborhood, the next neighborhood, and so on. My parents, two older brothers, and I had a solid relationship, with all … Continue reading Reckless Love
Forever
| This is the 223rd story of Our Life Logs | “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” – Thomas Paine I was born on August 31, 1938, in Anniston, Alabama, to a homemaker mother and a father who wore multiple hats: namely, farmer and bus driver. Times in the southern US during the 1940s and 1950s were … Continue reading Forever
It Is Enough
| This is the 222nd story of Our Life Logs | I was born in Baltimore, Maryland on Valentine’s Day, in 1959—yes, the day of love and joy. While it’s true that I had a mother who loved me unconditionally, my father left my mother when I was just a week old. And what’s more, my father was absolutely loving and giving to my two sisters, … Continue reading It Is Enough
Beyond Our Beginnings
| This is the 221st story of Our Life Logs | It’s no secret that I am a man who welcomes others with open arms, it’s just that many don’t know where that love of community came from. 1 | Family is Family I didn’t have an ordinary upbringing, but I am not here trying to say that it was an awful life. I was born … Continue reading Beyond Our Beginnings
Leaving the Past Behind
| This is the 220th story of Our Life Logs | I grew up in Kingston, Jamaica in the early 1960s as the eldest of four kids. We lived a middle-class life with my dad working as a deacon and my mom as a teacher. I was introverted and loved spending time alone, especially watching ants as they marched to their hills. I loved being around … Continue reading Leaving the Past Behind
I Will Live on
| This is the 219th story of Our Life Logs | I was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1992 as the youngest of five children. I grew up feeling invisible to my family. My older sister was always considered the “good one” while I faded into the background. It may not have been true, but it always seemed like my sister was the preferred child because … Continue reading I Will Live on
