What do you say when you don’t know what to say? We face the dilemma of knowing what to say in the wake of grief, loss, tragedy, illness, natural disaster or any of the difficult and painful …

The phrase “it takes a village” refers to a cooperative effort. The town where I used to live is incorporated as a village. This strikes me as odd because the population is 27,000. …

I try to show empathy for bugs and other creatures I find in my space. If possible, I pick them up in something (not with my hands) and take them outside. If not, I apologize to them before I squish …

I am embarrassed now that I was not happy when I found out the first service of a Unitarian Universalist church I was going to would be the youth service. Youth services, in my previous experience, …

I was looking for a video on YouTube and stumbled across something much better. It is a company called Hopscotch Songs that makes wonderful animated educational videos for children. Among their …

I am happy to have a U.S. passport. It allows me to travel internationally and is a valuable piece of identification. I also have a valid Florida driver’s license with the proper identifier on …

There was a small neighborhood grocery store on the edge of the suburban development where I grew up, run by several generations of the DiPascale family. The dad and uncle ran the deli. Their freshly …

I am watching the Prime Video series, “Patience.” Patience is a young autistic woman who works in the criminal records department for the police. She excels at solving crimes because she …

I attended the most recent Nassau County School Board meeting last Thursday. It was far less contentious than the previous one, which was paused in the middle to calm things down and remove a …

I was a nerdy kid who loved school. While my friends bemoaned the start of school in the late summer, I kept my mouth shut. I was looking forward to it. I loved shopping for a new outfit and getting …

We watched the news for 30 minutes in the evening when I was growing up. The broadcast consisted of one person, Walter Cronkite, in black and white. We assumed what he reported was factual because it …

My brother captures photos of peaceful sunrises and other phenomena on his early beach walks. I love that he has this time to himself to soak in tranquility. This particular morning he was the …

The Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann is not a household name. It may seem odd that with everything going on locally, nationally and globally, I chose to use my commentary space to tell you about him. I …

An article in the Times-Union of Jacksonville from May 25, 2025 was titled, “Don’t you ‘Sweetie’ me!” by Paula Span. The article was about “elderspeak.” It …

Grief is difficult in every way. We don’t know what grief will be like until we are plunged into it. We may have a few role models, but good ones are hard to find. As a culture, Americans are …

Spring is already sliding into summer. Maybe you, like me, are thinking of the spring cleaning projects you envisioned completing by now. Maybe your cleaning list stayed on a Post-it note or inside …

There is so much to love about Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island. We have a lively downtown with good restaurants. We have a historic Black beach community that preserves history and culture in its …

I see much to appreciate in the first photo I share with you on Mother’s Day. It is of two beautiful young girls enthusiastically holding signs of their creation high above their heads at a …

Deborah and I became friends through our mothers. When girls are little, their mothers often become friends through mutual play dates, parties and school functions. Our mothers became friends when …

Springtime is a season for engagements and weddings. These occasions mean trips to jewelry stores for diamonds. Diamonds are a big purchase. One wants to make sure their money is well-spent. That is …