You hear your alarm clock ringing—quietly at first, and then increasingly louder—but you’re not ready to wake up. As you hit snooze and roll over, you can’t help but wonder when it will all get better. You’re ready for a new job. You’re ready for a fresh start. And… Read More

After living in New York City for 29 years, I made a difficult decision: I left my home! I stepped away from everything I had ever known—friends, family and familiarity—in hopes of exploring a world outside “The Big Apple”. Filled with excitement over the endless possibilities ahead, I loaded all… Read More

What if my family was different? What if things were simpler? What if everyone could just get along? These thoughts cross my mind often. And around the holidays, they cross my mind almost daily. When my husband and I visit his side of the family for Christmas, we go… Read More

You step out of your car, lock the doors, stretch your arms and saunter toward your home, ready to collapse on the couch after a long day of work. You spent most of the day dreaming of this moment. And then you hear it. Your daughter screeches. Your son yells. Read More

During certain periods of the year—around the holidays, during the warm summer months, when the seasons change—I miss my late grandmother, who lost a battle with cancer 13 years ago. In a quiet-but-confident way, she brought excitement to family gatherings. She turned every day into a new adventure. And she… Read More

As I scrolled through my friends’ wedding photos online, I saw all the signs of a beautiful couple. Her green eyes and brown hair highlighted her pretty face. He looked dapper in his grey suit. In this moment, I was genuinely happy for my friends. But I couldn’t enjoy… Read More

Not a week goes by that I don’t remind my son to be kind to his sister and play with her. When he looks at her, he sees an annoying two-year old who steals his toys and ruins all his fun. For him, she is simply too hard to love. Read More

Have you been wronged? I think it’s safe to say that, in one way or another, we all have. And I’m not talking about being cut off in traffic. I’m talking about the kind of pain that goes deep, that feels impossible to forget. Are you holding onto an offense… Read More

If you’ve ever disobeyed a parent, teacher or supervisor, then at some point in your life you’ve probably heard the stinging remark, “I’m not angry with you. I’m just disappointed in you.” Why do comments like this sear our consciences so badly? For some strange reason, we’d rather incite heated… Read More

There is no right way to grieve. In some cultures grief is expressed through open throated, full-bodied lamenting. In other cultures it is private and felt internally. Grief can bring people together (like Jewish families sitting shiva, a weeklong mourning period following the loss of a family member) or send… Read More