Spiritual Growth

The Devoted Heart Long ago my youngest son, age five at that time, asked me, out of the blue: “Dad, do you exist?” “Yes,” I responded, without thinking. The answer, I now think, was just as interesting as the question, coming out of the mouth of a little child. What made it interesting was its immediacy. Of course I exist! A … Read More

The Steady Heart In his early teens, my father was a fervent opponent of European colonialism in what was then called “the Dutch Indies” — an archipelago which, like a garland of emeralds, winds about the equator. Not surprisingly, his views also opposed those of my grandfather, who was of the opinion that “we (the Netherlands) simply cannot afford to … Read More

In my early forties, quite unexpectedly, I felt propelled to have my Dutch university degree recognized here in Italy. I immediately acted upon this unforeseen objective and fearlessly challenged the labyrinth of this country’s bureaucracy. Finally I was told that, in order to get what I wanted, I had to pay a year’s university fee, take three additional exams, and … Read More