Kathleen's card

The handwritten note my friend Kathleen added to my card touched me deeply. "You bring so many people joy all year. Enjoy the season for yourself."

I admire Kathleen so. She's gone further in her career than I have in mine. Her kids are growing into happy, contributing members of society. Her husband is a complex, challenging (in a good way) man. She's tall and long-limbed. She even teaches Sunday School!

Her life seems so complete and challenging (in a good way), that I didn't realize how much I meant to her, or how I appear through her eyes.

This made my day.

A Proud Day for the United States

Today President Obama became a Nobel Laureate. He was humble -- acknowledging that he is not in a class with the "giants of history" who have also received the Nobel Peace Prize, like Schweitzer, King and Mandela. He was pragmatic about Afghanistan -- he doesn't delight in using force, but he's acknowledging the "imperfections of man and the limits of reason" even as he recalls Dr. King's words, "violence never brings permanent peace." He was proud -- reminding the world that America has helped preserve global security with the "blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms."

I'm not sure how I feel about the Afghanistan surge, but I was proud to see my President on the world stage, speaking responsibly as both peacemaker and peacekeeper.

All Better

I woke up this morning feeling much better, and today my appetite has returned. I'm so glad. With the holidays almost upon us -- and my best friend in town next week! -- it would be just too gruesome to be really sick.