It started around the age of eleven, when I was a 7th grader in search of my place in the social hierarchy. I'd spend hours searching for just the right one to convey the perfect message to the recipient. In my head, I'd debate whether the words were too sappy or too adoring, too generic or too blah. I'd pick them up and put them back, debating where to commit my precious 50 … [Read more...]
The Skill of Gratitude
I was not raised in a religious home. Though culturally I have always been deeply connected to Judaism, it has never been a way for me to find consolation or reassurance in difficult times. My identity is firmly planted in the roots of my grandmother's Yiddishkeits, my father's voice when he recited the kaddish on Yom Kippur, my children's faces at their B'nai Mitvah. And yet, … [Read more...]
Summer, 1970, Long Island
I was 8 years old the summer of 1970, and that was the summer I didn't go to camp. We lived in a sweet little house that my father spent hours painting and fixing, though his handyman skills were severely lacking. His younger brother, a hippie with a wild afro, who lived in our attic and was as mysterious and fascinating to me as Bobby Sherman, built a screened-in porch in … [Read more...]
Give Thanks for Young Adult Kids
From time to time I will share my column on About.com, where I am the Young Adults Expert. This column is about giving thanks for our young adult kids. Happy Thanksgiving to you all! 20 Reasons to Give Thanks for Our Young Adult Kids Raising children is filled with rewarding moments - along with moments that terrify, exhaust, and overwhelm us. As parents of adults, … [Read more...]
Why Housework Matters
There was an op-ed piece in the The New York Times entitled "The Case for Living in Filth" about the role men and women play in the management of the home. Among the writers and philosophers cited in the article are Karl Marx and Simone de Beauvoir, one indication that the topic of housework and the division of labor is no small subject. One phrase in the article … [Read more...]