In honor of my anniversary today — and to anyone else with one in the month of January — I thought you might enjoy this poem my husband Michael sent me — and this is not our 50th anniversary! We’ll be a little farther south celebrating it this week. I’m going to hold him to…

Last Sunday we saw that goddesses come in all genders, and this Sunday we see they come in all sizes. This sentimental and touching Christmas story tells us what we already know deep down in our hearts. Like a golden box filled with kisses, we have our own box brimming with blessings we cannot see. Those…

This young man may not look like a goddess, but you can bet he is. Can you believe this 16 year-old boy has raised over $60,000 to overcome domestic abuse? Truly amazing, isn’t it? To satisfy a high school course requirement Nick Jaeger decided to help out at a shelter for abuse victims. Then after learning first…

So there was Thanksgiving, then Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and now tomorrow Cyber Monday. But did you know that the next day is Giving Tuesday? Giving Tuesday is a national movement to return the spirit of generosity to this season of overdone materialism. In the words of Anne Frank: “No one has ever become poor by giving.”…

Have you heard the song about “Too Much Stuff”? I feel that way sometimes. I have lots of stuff, not as much as some, but way more than others. And I feel guilty about it. Part of my problem is figuring out what’s stuff and what’s junk. I hate junk. It serves no purpose whatever…

We live in Sarasota, Florida where we are often surrounded by our elders, one of those politically correct terms for old people. At social gatherings–of which there are many–some of the major topics are knee replacements, physical rehab, and drugs that work. I’m delighted I still feel young, although whether I am or not is completely subjective. I’m…

The Happiness Ratio Are you a happy person? Hard to answer, isn’t it? I’m happy one minute and then a little while later I’m sad or angry or frustrated. After reading this excellent article, Here’s the Magic Number That Leads to Happiness by Eric Barker, I realize that happiness is all about the math. He…

Happy Day of the Dead! Did you know that the Day of the Dead is celebrated all over the world between October 31 and November 2? In Mexico and Central America, where the holiday originated, it is a raucous but meaningful day that gives people the opportunity to remember and be inspired by those who have…

10 Daily Rituals How do you change your life for the better?  Religion, role models, chocolate?  How about habits? All of us have a wide variety of habits and rituals, but most of them are not intentional, and too many do us more harm than good — like that chocolate thing. But Janet Bray Attwood…

Malala This 17 year-old Pakistani girl has become one of the most admired people on the planet. In 2009 when she was only 12, she was shot on her school bus because she had the audacity to blog about the terrorism of the Taliban. Two of her friends were killed in that attack, but she…