Author: Katharine Rose

#Kindness4Colleen, Kindness For All

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“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.”

Colleen Ritzer legacyThe above quote, attributed to the Lebanese-American author Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) most well known for his book The Prophet, has always been one of my favorites. Serving as a counterpoint to a prevailing cultural ethos that too readily equates strength with acts of self-empowerment and self-aggrandizement, it is a reminder of a “quieter” strength, one that doesn’t seek the world’s attention and approval, but instead manifests itself in acts of humility, sacrifice and loving kindness when no one is looking.

While I did not know her, and was made aware of her only recently through a friend, I get the sense that Colleen Ritzer – a Massachusetts native and high school math teacher whose life was tragically and mercilessly stolen from her at the age of 24 – was one of these people. Read more

The Perfect Homemade Cookie for Any Occasion

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“Sometimes me think, ‘What is friend?’ and then me say, ‘Friend is someone to share the last cookie with.” –Cookie Monster

Homemade chocolate chip cookie recipeOne of my favorite childhood memories is baking homemade cookies with my mother. Standing on a wooden stool next to her in the kitchen, she would measure the ingredients and allow me to pour them into the bowl before mixing. The best part, of course, was sneaking tastes of dough along the way and licking the bowl clean at the end.

Thanks to her loving guidance, it wasn’t long until I was baking them on my own. From chocolate chip to oatmeal raisin, sugar and molasses, lemon butterscotch and more, I have baked over hundreds of dozens of cookies for dozens of people and events throughout my junior high, high school, college and, now, early adulthood years. Read more

Shining A Hopeful Light on Usher Syndrome

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Usher syndrome symptomsWhen I think of Emma, my 1-year-old niece and goddaughter, I think of her big, bright blue, angelic eyes. They are staring up at me, at seven months old, trusting, innocent eyes that eventually succumb to the spellbinding power of sleep in the arms of someone she had not yet come to know.

I remember thinking how miraculous it was that, at such a young age, babies could not only convey a feeling, thought or emotion with one simple look, but could gaze so deeply, so intently, as if, for a moment, they were imparting years of life wisdom that we typically only acquire with age.

It was her eyes in this moment that flashed through my mind as I learned three months later that her hearing loss would not be the only challenge that she would come to face. That what had once seemed like an unlikely possibility had revealed itself as a new reality when the test results diagnosed her with Usher Syndrome – the most common cause of combined deafness and blindness that affects about four babies in every 100,000 births. An inherited disease, it is thought to be responsible for about three to six percent of all childhood deafness and about 50 percent of deaf-blindness in adults. Read more

James Harrison: Wise Words From A Man of Steel

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James Harrison Participation trophiesI imagine that one of the most empowering aspects of being famous is the ability to have your voice heard: to fearlessly and boldly share your thoughts and opinions knowing that people are listening and responding on a national or international level.

While their qualifications to speak on certain topics and issues can at times be questionable, the influence public officials have is truly immeasurable, stirring a debate or movement with a simple act, speech or – in the case of James Harrison, the NLF linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers* – a post on social media.

This past Saturday, the notoriously aggressive professional football player used social media to lambast “participation trophies,” writing a paragraph-long post explaining that trophies should be awarded based solely on merit, not for simply trying. Read more

The Truth Behind Einstein’s Letter on The “Universal Force” of Love

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Albert Einstein famous quotesOne of the greatest things about discovering something new is the path it leads us down and doors it opens into new insights and findings that we otherwise might have never known. An article we read leads us to a new author or book. A conversation we have leaves us “googling” something or someone we’ve never heard. A segment on the radio inspires us to learn more about a business or topic being discussed.

Or, as most recently happened to me, a letter circulating via social media leads to the debunking of a myth surrounding its alleged author. Read more

The Charleston Tragedy: A Conversation On Faith & Forgiveness

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Please note: this piece was also published in The Huffington Post.

Charleston shootingWe often hear about the power of forgiveness. Its ability to transform and heal, freeing us from the weight of bitterness and resentment that anchors itself all too comfortably in the depths of our soul.

The concept, in theory, is familiar: to forgive is to recognize the reality of human fallibility and our finite understanding of the cruelty and injustice we at times bear witness to in an imperfect world. In practice, however, forgiveness is more uncomfortable, challenging us to confront our pride and redirect our inherent desire for revenge and ill will with a purity and grace that seems more well-suited for a heavenly, divine people. Read more

La Vita È Bella – In America, That Is

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Statue of LibertyIt can be surprisingly easy to neglect the history and symbolism of July 4th, otherwise known as Independence Day, when surrounded by family and friends, a picnic table full of delicious summer treats and an explosion of red, white and blue fireworks.

The rhythmic nature of our daily routines and habits does not lend itself to a full appreciation of the basic principles and values upon which our country was founded – including freedom, security and lawful order – particularly when we have never encountered an experience that denies us those very things.

It was an unexpected sequence of events in Italy several years ago that led me to this stark realization, where I not only gained a greater understanding of the cultural and societal norms of another country, but developed a newfound appreciation for “all things good” in America and was reminded of how much there is to be thankful for in this great “land of the free, home of the brave.” Read more

Sharing An Adventure On Father’s Day

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“Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in case of success.”

The above advertisement – largely recognized as one of the most famous in history – was placed in London newspapers in the early 20th century by Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922), the famed polar explorer who led one of the most remarkable expeditions of all time: the 1914 journey to Antarctica that left him and his crew living on floating ice for months on end after the sinking of their ship, Endurance.

best survival books non fictionAs the daughter of one of Shackleton’s biggest fans, I became familiar with the written account of Endurance at a young age – a story that brilliantly captures man’s yearning for adventure (not to mention his will to survive) and serves as a testimony to the pivotal influence of strong leadership in the face of insurmountable odds.

Sharing his own yearning for adventure – or at the very least, yearning for adventure stories – my father has passed along to me many other riveting reads throughout the years, such as Alive by Piers Paul Read and The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz (synopses below). Read more

Joining David Brooks on “The Road to Character”

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David Brooks Road to Character Review“We are out of balance,” declares David Brooks, the widely recognized New York Times columnist, in his new book The Road to Character:

“The mental space that was once occupied by moral struggle has gradually become occupied by the struggle to achieve. Morality has been displaced by utility. Adam II [our internal, morally concerned nature] has been displaced by Adam I [our external, career-oriented nature].”

In an eye opening, beautifully written exploration into the development of a strong inner character, David Brooks shows how far we have strayed from the “crooked-timber” school of thought that deliberatively recognized human limitations and fallibility and encouraged the cultivation of virtues such as humility, selflessness, generosity and self-sacrifice. Read more

Good News From Dana Perino

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Dana Perino And The Good News Is Book ReviewI knew I was going to enjoy Dana Perino’s book after coming across an article she published entitled: “Advice for Millennials: What I learned From My Quarter-Life Crisis (Yes, I had one).”

Discovering that the former Press Secretary for President George W. Bush had once been “racked with anxiety, filled with fear, and totally confused about what I was going to do with my life,” was more than enough to convince me to begin reading her book, And The Good News Is…: Lessons and Advice From the Bright Side.

Funny and moving, insightful and informative, balanced and practical, it is well worth the read, particularly for millennials who may be in the midst of their own “quarter-life crisis,” just as Ms. Perino describes experiencing in her early career. Read more