Dear Lord, May I treat all of my co-workers with the respect due to all of your children May I be an instrument of your kindness and generosity to all who pass through these doors May I be patient with those who are having a bad day May I use humor to defuse tense situations … Continue reading
Latest Entries
4 ingredients for a joyful life
Exercise to strengthen your body Prayer to exercise your soul Love of self to tenderize your heart Love of others to leave your legacy –Ron Cooper Continue reading
Department store dance
Today, the pianist at the department store played the 1942 hit, “I Don’t Want to Walk without You.” An elderly man hovered nearby to get a closer look at the lyrics. As he mouthed the words, his hips swayed and he began to dance. His eyes sparkling, he spotted an old woman sitting nearby in … Continue reading
Old man and a chair
Every morning at my restaurant hangout, a feeble old man shows up with his walker. Every morning, he takes little baby steps on his way to a table. Lately, I’ve noticed the man slowing down. He gets halfway to his goal when the sudden weight of his weariness overtakes him. He teeters and looks like … Continue reading
Is kindness ever selfish?
We all know kindness when we see it— Let another motorist in your lane Help a senior master the ATM machine Buy a child at the store some penny candy But when we treat ourselves kindly: Is that selfishness? Egotistical? Or is it self-love, long neglected, most often totally ignored? Unkindness is out … Continue reading
The triumphant heart
The heart has many moods–sad, lonely, happy, forlorn, exultant. The heart has many positive attributes–generosity, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, love. But above all, the heart is resilient. It weathers deep disappointments and exhilarating joys. It is the one constant in our inner lives and outward expressions. The heart–magical, mystical, triumphant. Simply nothing like it! –By Ron … Continue reading
The parking permit
A friend of mine who contracted cancer told me this story of inspiration and kindness: “A lady in my office has a “red” parking tag right by the front door (red tag spaces at our university are reserved spaces, and cost over a couple of hundred dollars). I have a “blue” tag, which means you … Continue reading
5 lessons I learned from Mom
• The spirit is never suppressed. • Humor lightens hardship. • Prayer is the fountain of hope. • Song praises the soul. • And family is forever. © Ron Cooper Excerpted from: “Fran’s Song: My Mother’s Triumph over Alzheimer’s” Would you like to Hear Fran Sing? Continue reading
“Alzheimer’s Comfort Prayer”
Prayer not pity Our earnest plea Comfort not sadness Our fondest hope Friendship not neglect Our greatest wish God’s good grace Our cherished treasure — © Ron Cooper From “Fran’s Song,” the Alzheimer’s journey of Ron’s mother Continue reading
Ron Cooper 