January 1 arrives like a gift. It is no ordinary day, as January 1 beckons forth a whole year’s worth of new days. January 1

2019 was a great year here at The Twelve–thanks for reading, commenting, engaging, supporting, and caring! Here are the top five most read posts of

For some years now I have taken the two or so hours it requires to read the entire end-of-year edition of the New York Times

2019 draws to a close. Thank you for your collegiality and support this past year. The Twelve is here for you, day after day. Before

One of my favorite sounds in the world is the deep laughter of children. A few nights ago, while reading a bedtime story, my two-year-old

Matthew 2:13-23 Silly things are said about the meaning of Christmas. I recall someone on NBC news saying, “Christmas is all about children’s bright, shining

Thanks to Grading Procrastination Syndrome (GPS), my husband succumbed last week to Ancestry.com’s free trial offer. It turns out that finding one’s ancestors is a

This was a strange, lonely Christmas for our family.  We’ve been traveling for a little more than four months now — and we’re far enough