Saying When in San Miguel
Elsmarie Norby, a local legend in historic San Miguel de Allende, passed on August 6, 2024, surrounded by her family. The news came in the wake of returning from my latest trip to Central Mexico. Only a week prior I
The Making of a Memoir with a Mission
Today, people around the globe celebrate two different founding stories—Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day—while our creative team celebrates a third with the launch of a new memoir, The Open Gate. In it, author Elsmarie Norby recounts the origin story
How to Write Your Origin Story
Every life has a story, even if most are not yet written. If you have yet to complete yours or even begin, a new year is a perfect time to start. Does the prospect of telling your life story sound overwhelming
The Candles That Connect Us
Celebrating the Global Village on the 111th International Women’s Day There is comfort in rituals. One of my favorites is the Christmas Eve candlelight service, during which, for about an hour, it feels like peace on earth might be achievable. Such
11 Truths I’ve Gleaned on My Trip Into Personal History Preservation
Launching a service for personal history preservation wasn’t the logical next step in my career path, but a colleague’s need for it and interest in funding it helped me see its potential. The offer came in September 2019 at a
The Life You Lead Is the Legacy You Leave
There’s no time like the start of a new year to consider the legacy you create with each moment of your life. While some people consider building a legacy an end-of-life matter, in reality, your legacy is a product of
Leading on and off the Field: Timmy Newsome on Life after the Dallas Cowboys
Playing your best game when the world is watching is one thing, but leadership also happens in those hidden acts of service we perform each day—and Timmy Newsome, former running back for the Dallas Cowboys, excels at both. After playing
Suffering, Survival and Legacy: Author Debora Annino on Giving Back After Cancer
When Barry Annino set out to write a book on life after a terminal diagnosis, his wife embarked on her own writing journey. Their new memoir chronicles their experience in “suffering, survival and legacy” from two very different perspectives—two sides
What ‘Legacy’ Means to UT’s Minister of Culture and Me
When the Nov/Dec 2019 issue of the University of Texas at Austin’s alumni magazine hit my mailbox with actor Matthew McConaughey’s sly smile on the cover, I will admit my interest in reading The Alcalde ran deeper than usual. Chris