Emmaline felt like a hole had been opened up in her chest when her grandmother passed away. Grandma had been living with Emmaline and Mom, taking care of things while Mom was working.  Having the three of them in their tiny apartment made it hard for any of them to have space to herself. But as Emmaline spent more and more time with Grandma, she came to love having her around.

Dusk settled over the valley, the worn mountains to the west silhouetted against the remnants of fading sunlight. At this time of year, with the days shortening, Dad got home from work after dark.

“Joe, honey,” said Joe’s mom over her shoulder as she finished washing some dishes, “please go turn the porch light on.”

Miriam, the manager of a small sales team, attended a training meeting about the development of the organization’s employees using a new program. The instructor taught the managers how to help each professional identify strengths and set goals to improve. Miriam became excited about how her team could increase their performance if she worked with each member on furthering their skills.

However, as Miriam held one-on-one meetings with her team members and explained the concept, she met with very different reactions.