As a young girl, one of our pre-Memorial Day rituals, headed-up by my father Ben, was a trip to Saint Joseph Cemetery on South Bend’s west side to plant red geraniums on the graves of our family members, especially the veterans. The west-side...
Last week we talked about the importance of completing estate planning, which will at some point require the choice of an executor, when drafting a Last Will and Testament, or successor trustee, when utilizing a Living Trust. As I expressed last...
My 13-year-old son Ethan has Down syndrome. Being the parent of a young person with a disability is both one of the most fulfilling and challenging journeys one can experience. One of the unique things about this experience is the pace of parenting...
I live south of U.S. 30 in the Boone Grove area of Porter County. Every day I cross 30 in the morning on the way to the Valpo Y. I can remember often cruising through the stop light at 30 and Rt. 2 without materially slowing down. Those days are...
Financial markets, particularly the stock market, over the short term can be like watching a novel teenage romance. So much drama, occasionally eliciting both elation and weeping in the same darned day. Trying to be an adult in the room, or an...
Unfortunately, moments of pure clarity don’t happen often. Thankfully, that means they do happen rarely. For some people, that may mean God is trying to tell them something. For others, they are having an epiphany that change must happen....
It’s that time of year again. The breeze in Northwest Indiana, now warmed by the promise of spring, is no longer considered an adversary. As the grayness of winter moves into the rearview mirror, many families will start to focus on upcoming...
I pulled into the parking lot of the local brewery, which I almost never went to. I parked in the space overlooking the back door. As if on cue, one of my best friends came out of the door. He was the head brewer back then. We’ve been friends since...
Last year on the day Russia invaded Ukraine I was speaking to a large group of clients and guests at our annual “kick-off” dinner. During the Q&A part of the event, the questions of course turned to the topic of the impending war in Europe...
I drive a 75-minute commute every morning and evening. It presents a lot of time to think. Recently I was driving to work, and it was pretty foggy out. I got to thinking about life and how it relates to the fog. As you are driving in the fog,...