What You Can Ask on This Mother’s Day By Blythe Daniel and Helen McIntosh We tease our children about “asking 20 questions” and here it is Mother’s Day and what a great time for them to ask you questions. What would it be like for you to guide your children or…
Welcome to the month of hopeless romanticism and hapless heartbreak. The retail world blushes all shades of pink, red, and lavender in an urge to sell us passion in packages. Singles resent the reminders of their isolation. Couples stress over how to avoid disappointing their beloved ones. Moms sigh over…
The mother swipes a bedraggled strand of hair behind her ear as she bends closer to her son. He's having a meltdown again. She clears her throat. Tries to ignore the other parents' glares cutting sideways at her. As she begins to speak softly to her child, a neighbor scoffs and…
Father's Day encourages us to celebrate the men who raise children in our world. For those who've lost or never experienced a nurturing dad, the holiday can prove bittersweet or even bitter. Some fathers face this day with grief, as they've lost children to death or estrangement. Those without the…
On a day meant to celebrate the heart, we're encouraged to purchase gifts as the key to true love. To embrace lovers, family, or to better love ourselves, the media insists we must buy just the right ticket to harmony. Culture gluts our media with advertisements for the best ways…
Valentines Day looms on the calendar next week. Some look forward to lavishing romantic gifts or excursions on their dear love. Those without an amorous partner might share hugs with family or friends. Others will eschew the red and pink holiday and escape by viewing action, horror, or sci-fi films. With…
We moved last week. When other people move, change jobs, add to their family, etc, the shift seems inconsequential. Until it happens to you. Over the past week, I realized that heaving a tough load over an uneven threshold offers a very different perspective than watching someone else do it. Physical,…
Modern lifestyle experts often focus on how to achieve satisfaction through self-care. While balanced living must include personal wellness, the happiest and most fulfilled individuals do not live merely to serve themselves. Community participation combined with a sense of higher purpose elevate a person's sense of meaning and joy. Put…
Chocolates bulge from store shelves this month. Sale ads urge us to procure these sweet pounds to show our love ... or adopt as our own. After all, who would leave a lonely velvet heart to languish in the clearance bin next week? The pressure to sprinkle sugar, flower petals,…
Food, family, and festivities rush us through Thanks-mas into next year's calendar. We fuss and bustle, scurrying from one restless day to another in an attempt to "do" the holidays properly. Or survive them, at least. Expectations and expenses squeeze us until our temples throb from the pressure. The harder we…