Last weekend in Cleveland, I had the joy of visiting the Ararat Judo Center with Der Hratch and the young people from our Cleveland parish. The center is run by Ghazar, who began practicing judo in Armenia shortly after I left, training at the same school under the same coaches. The moment I stepped inside, a flood of childhood memories came rushing back. From the age of six until I was thirteen, I practiced judo. Those seven years taught me discipline, balance, patience, res

Growing up, I remember having a plastic dagger that seemed very important to me. It was only a toy, but in my imagination it was something precious. I carried it everywhere. I played with it constantly. I even slept with it beside me at night. At that age, it felt like a treasure. Today, I have no idea where that plastic dagger is. I do not miss it. I do not wonder what happened to it. Something that once seemed so important eventually became insignificant. That is how life w

There is something strange about the human heart. It is rarely satisfied with where it is. We wait for something, pray for it, work for it, and finally receive it. For a while, we are happy. Then, almost without noticing, the heart begins looking toward the next thing. On a hot day, we wish for cooler weather. In winter, we miss the warmth. We dream about getting away, and after a few days away, we begin to miss home. When we are young, we cannot wait to grow older. Later, we