What do water balloons have to do with anything? Everything! It's about going just a wee bit out of our way or our comfort zone to create moments that are joyful, giddy gifts for the people around us. That's the ending of the story. That's the punch line. That's the why. Now here's the short story...

I'm at my Mom's house in a small town in Ohio. Lots of times people say to me, "How can you stay there so long? What do you do? Don't you get bored?" Well, here's the thing: I never get bored here because my Mom is fun and funny and loving and full of vitality. So we don't have to be going to...

I just read an article called "What a Small Town Obituary Writer can Teach Us All About Living." I think you'll enjoy taking a peek at it. The author talks about the joy of ordinary days, being present in long stretches of time with people we love, and the importance of small acts of kindness....