Sankofa is an Akan Twi word from Ghana that means “to go back and fetch it.” It’s a concept that encourages people to learn from their past

Wellness is a beautiful book, with so many themes I had to slow down my pace while reading in order to take it all in. At its heart, it seem

Some years ago, I read a headline that made me smile: “Detroit Wins—America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Named No. 1 in America.” It had been

“I do daywork” is what I remember hearing her say. It would be a few years before I knew what that was and more than a few decades before I

The news the other day featured a picture that had been captured of a galaxy far, far, far away that looked like a huge question mark. I’m s

This September, with construction all around metro Detroit and the election looming, it was a good time for me to read Governor Gretchen Whi

My childhood in the South didn't include “the talk” about being pulled over, but instead about being pulled under. Hot summer days made swi

Ann Arbor — A panhandler on the sidewalk. Someone holding a sign at an intersection. This is probably what comes to mind when thinking of so

Looking back on random moments can add new perspectives. I recently ran across something I wrote five years ago. I could never have predicte

With every season of life and every level of growth, it seems a reconciliation of our understanding and use of power is required.

I have always loved the movie It’s a Wonderful Life; the title, Jimmy Stewart’s acting, and especially the overall message which has stuck w

Back when vinyl records were the way to listen to music, nothing was worse than a scratched record or album. The needle would get stuck in a

Now that I’m in my sixth decade of life, I can admit to my unique habit of hoarding. Except for a couple of things, I finally stopped in my

Tom Lake, Ann Patchett’s latest novel (out last year) has a lovely Michigan connection, along with nods to Chekov and Thornton Wilder.

In that moment, the dog bite represented physical things that require medical intervention. I have had my share of those this year. While in

As I write this, I am in Berlin, Germany at the end of a two-week experimental treatment program to help restore my full eyesight.  

Lately, I’ve been trying to untangle the difference between thanks and gratitude. It’s so easy to use them interchangeably. But I realize

My mother was raised as an only child who yearned for family and worked hard to foster her own community. We had aunties, uncles, and cousin

We all have them: things we’ve learned over our lifetime. Over five decades of living has taught me a few things. Here are twenty-five of...

I was about eight years old when my mom gathered her six girls on the living-room sofa in our Arkansas home to tell us some “very...