Journal : OpenRoadWorks

Our mothers are as varied and complex as espresso According to an interesting article in The Economist , scientists reckon there are over 1,200 various chemical substances that reside inside a single-roasted coffee bean. Espresso, of all coffee preparations, releases more of these chemicals than any other preparation. So, too, does motherhood involve more of the human senses than any other act or bond. For a variety of reasons, we are most attached to our mothers, more so than our fathers, siblings, or relatives. Mothers always seem near, even when they are not physically nearby. Mothers always seem to "know", even when they don't understand what might really be going on. Mothers always seem to care, even when it is hard to do so on our behalf. In some way, these and other factors contribute to the attachment that makes mothers top of the family heap. Thanks to Anna Jarvis , Mother's Day is now a thoroughly recognized holiday in the US and beyond, althoug...

A wonderful birthday surprise included weekend time with UCLA nieces and nephews! The wonders of social media sometimes outweigh the burdens of interconnected living. Birthdays are a good example. Before Facebook, birthdays were an affair requiring planning to gather friends and to share the moment. For those who have lived in different parts of the world and have friends scattered about, this is difficult to accomplish.  Perhaps my reflection is intensified by the fact that my wife is also traveling for business on this day, but I don't feel entirely alone. Starting early in the morning, birthday wishes started to arrive - first from Asia, then Europe, then rolling into the US (east coast, central time, west coast). By noontime here in DC, I had a collection of messages from friends near and far, close and distant, that comprised my own journey through family, school, work, and interests. The wonder comes from reflecting on the fact that all these people and all the memori...