Old Truth For Today

Total, absolute quiet. It is so rare in a house with two young children, in a fast-paced culture, with long to-do lists. I don’t often get the chance to just sit and enjoy being still. Enter Michigan winter. Day after day after day of white snowfall blankets my world in quiet. Roads become impassable, and schools, churches, and businesses close for the day. We are given the opportunity to just be home—to enjoy the white, clean, fresh, silent air. It’s nice. This winter in Mic

“I found money!!”  my son exclaimed, proudly holding up a grimy penny he had discovered on the asphalt. He was thrilled to drop it into his piggy bank at home—completely unfazed by the fact that it was worth only one cent. Later that evening, I said to my husband, “I wonder how often anyone will even find pennies anymore now that they’re being discontinued. Maybe someday we’ll be more excited about them.” How much like life, I realized. We are quick to discount the “one-cent”

When we bought our 1950s-era house, it came with a vintage pool table in the basement. A few weeks ago, my husband opened the table to fix some jammed balls. While inspecting the inside, he discovered an old newspaper, neatly folded and tucked away. The newspaper was a 1970 edition of The Niles Daily Star . It was filled with fascinating cultural snapshots from that day—shockingly low grocery prices and one especially questionable recipe for a sardine and bean salad. My mom d