Columns

Fathers Do Matter

Being an amateur birdwatcher of sorts, I have come to see several different species that visit our homestead. While there are hummingbirds of various sizes and colors, the Baltimore Orioles are among the most colorful winged creatures to stop at our jelly feeders. While we don’t feed seed to birds in the summer, those birds that do appear now are fun to watch and listen to as they sing for their supper. What I have come to realize about the bird kingdom is that the male species are the most colorful while their female counterparts sport more subdued colorations. For instance, the ...

Another Viewpoint

Anyone who regularly reads this weekly column knows that I rarely get political in this space. I tend to leave the heavy politics to the op-ed pages. While this week’s column may come off as politically-motivated, it’s not. With that being said, I will first say that I never cared for former president Joe Biden and his political leanings. However, I have always respected the office of the President of the United States. The fact that we, the voting public, elect the person to hold that title is somewhat sacred to me. As for the former president, I was saddened and moved by what I ...

Stop and Smell the Roses

When did the human race become a species in such a hurry? Ask any law enforcement officer with a radar gun, and I’m sure he or she will confirm we need to slow our roll. There are just too many distractions when we are behind the wheel to make matters worse. I can’t count the number of ...

Enjoy What We Have Been Given

Eight years. That’s how long I have held onto a cactus plant that came from my mother’s house. I’m still not sure if it is a Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus or something else. All I know is that for eight years I had watered and tended the plant that remained green but never produced any blooms. It has been exasperating, especially since a larger cactus plant sitting next to it would produce gorgeous red flowers several times each year. The two plants were sitting side by side in the same window area. They were watered at the same time and left in the dark for the ...

A Test Of Faith

The gray knee socks, pleated skirts and white blouses were a dead giveaway. It was difficult to get away with mischief while wearing the Catholic schoolgirl uniform. The same goes for the boys who stood out with their neatly pressed dress pants, crisp shirts and don’t ever forget your ties, boys. Growing up Catholic in a city the size of Wheeling meant we kind of stood out among the rest of the crowd when we were dressed for school. And because my high school, Wheeling Central Catholic, was located a stone’s throw from downtown Wheeling, we had to be on our best behavior if ...

May, The Month Of Marys

Suddenly, it’s May. For as long as I can remember, May has been the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As kids, we would pick flowers from our yard — and sometimes a neighbor’s yard — and place them on the Mary altar at our church. Ironically, May was also the month of our mother whose name just happened to be Mary as well. We picked flowers for her, too, even if they were dandelions or another weedy blossom. Mom would have been 99 on this Sunday, May 11. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since she left us. So when May rolls around, our thoughts turn to ...