I am a sucker for those do-it-yourself pottery shops. Spending a couple of hours painting knick-knacks is a creative outlet for me and a fun way to spend quality time with my sons. As a side effect, my house is filled with kiddie ceramics: smudgy painted dinosaurs, coffee mugs...

  As I’m running pieces of wood through my table saw, my mind wanders and weaves like the Amazon River. I’m totally unplugged and in my own thought world. Making things is often where I find my meditation. Making for me isn't a uniquely spiritual exercise, but a place...

  A few weeks ago, I took my son to the DMV for his driver’s license test. When I got out of the car and exchanged places with his examiner, a profound sense of anxiety swept over me like a wave. For a moment, I was transported to an earlier phase of life. It felt eerily like...