The Journey

Jogging through the white and black hues of winter’s early mornings, it is easier for me to hear the whispers of angels than during “office hours.” I say that tongue-in-cheek as I have not worked in a formal office for almost thirteen years. But my mind is slow to...

Everything was different last year. No snow. Balmy weather. Even Santa, always good-natured, seemed jollier than usual. Perhaps he was anticipating the rare opportunity to deliver gifts on Christmas Eve in his “baby,” a metallic gray Corvette. After all, his baby is...

The Saugatuck Dunes State Park For the last several months I have anguished over how best to advocate for Lake Michigan without contributing to the polarization ripping apart our communities, our country, and our planet.Last month, I attended the Michigan Department...

They serve no master save the water. Over 320 strong, members of the Waterkeeper Alliance are grassroots leaders protecting everyone’s right to “drinkable, fishable, swimmable water everywhere.” Ten are located in Great Lakes waterways.Every Waterkeeper program is...

Finishing first across the finish line in the 4th race. (Photo courtesy of Jamey Maher.) In light and variable winds, under a scorching sun, and with temperatures hovering near 90 degrees, twenty-eight teams of sailors raced last weekend off the eastern shores of Lake...

Is it possible?  It is the mouth of the Kalamazoo River that currently troubles me. Upstream, the Environmental Protection Agency continues cleanup efforts at the Allied Paper Superfund site. And while it took four years and over $1.2 billion, Enbridge completed...

When the tall, slightly gray-haired woman hastened over to the table where Rubin and I were sitting, all the memories of that frigid day in May of 2008 came flooding back. I was on a solo journey that spring--hiking, biking, and camping up the eastern coast of...

In the bellman’s outstretched hands, he held a pair of paper shoe covers for me to don before walking across the lobby. It was an unspoken plea to all resort guests returning from a walk along the Santa Barbara coast. Help preserve the pristine guest experience and...

Although there were thousands crammed into the Vatican Square in Rome, it was as if the Pope was talking directly to me. Speaking of Mary, the mother of Jesus and the woman for whom I was named, Pope Francis called her the “Mother of Hope.”​“Hers is a witness of...

In my hand, I finger a blue marble—a smooth, glass surface sparkling like a drop of water in the sunlight. Rolling the marble between my thumb and forefinger, I reflect on my life-long relationship with Lake Michigan. On many levels, this lake defines me. It...

A glimmer of lightdissolves the darkness—and hopesprings from outstretched hands

A proposed budget cut to the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Atmospheric & Oceanic Administration (NOAA) will affect Great Lakes boaters and swimmers. This might make a good topic for a March 15 post card to the President--in addition to any others you might be...