Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Kindness Was Their Life Preserver
What does kindness mean to you, and how has it impacted your life? I asked that question of Kelli Kurtz, executive director of institutional 
advancement at Stephen T. Badin High School (a high school of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati). Her answer reminds us that those random acts of kindness – people who, without need or want of anything in return go out of their way to reach out a hand to lift you up, just when you need it, have far reaching impact.
In her own words…
“Kindness has certainly touched my life in ways I never imagined. Our family has been blinded by some extremely challenging times these past 3 years, and it nearly sucked the wind right out of us. The countless and unexpected acts of kindness shown to our family were like being thrown a life preserver until we could touch bottom again.
When our youngest son was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 12, we were blessed with Meal Trains, gift cards, hospital blessing boxes, edible arrangements, donations of hotel points and gas cards (since we were traveling to Chicago for his care.) But one unexpected and unbelievably kind act stands out from all the rest this past year, when we suddenly lost our beloved 11-year-old labradoodle to cancer. Thanks to social media, our friends and family knew of this devastating diagnosis and tremendous loss. (As you can imagine, Rudy had served as our family’s permanent life raft during this tumultuous and painful time.)
A week after Rudy passed, I received a letter from Waussau, Wisconsin–the home of my college roommate and her family. Her sweet mom followed me on Facebook, and knew of our loss. She was also keenly aware of the rough seas we had been navigating for some time.
She sent a beautiful card, with a check for $100 with this inscription: “Nothing is more important than family. Honor Rudy’s memory by spending time together, comforting and loving one another through your pain. I hope this helps.”
I will never forget her touching tribute to Rudy and our family. In the fog of our loss, I don’t even remember exactly what we did, but what I do remember is how we felt–loved. And whole for the first time in a long time.
~Kelli Kurtz
Good People Doing Good Things: Dan Andriacco
Many people like me know Dan Andriacco either from his days as reporter and editor at The Cincinnati Post or his current position as communications director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. But, until today, I had no idea Dan also is an 
accomplished mystery writer whose third book in a series, The 1895 Murder, will hit the book shelves November 1.
I did some research. On Amazon.com where you can easily find his books, there are reviews. Four and mostly five star ratings consistently.
Dan’s fascination with mysteries began early. He discovered Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes stories when he was nine years old and couldn’t stop reading. Next came Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Rex Stout, and many others. Not surprisingly (although unknown to me), it has long been Dan’s career goal to be a mystery writer.
Dan’s Sebastian McCabe – Jeff Cody mystery series, set in a small town in Ohio, is very much in the tradition of his Golden Age favorites.
“McCabe is a great detective in the classic mode,” Dan wrote on his blog. “By that I mean he is a polymath amateur sleuth. He’s a college professor at at small Catholic college, but he’s also a mystery writer, a magician, and a linguist. I would love to meet the man, but I’m not sure I’d want to be his best friend.
“His ‘Watson,’ Jeff Cody is not only his best friend, but also his brother-in-law and the public relations director for the college where Mac teachers. These multiple relationships carry multiple tensions, which I hope is a source of humor. These books are supposed to be fun and funny. Judging by reviewers, they seem to hit that mark for most readers.”
I admit, I haven’t been much of a mystery reader until now but I think now I have a reason to become one.
