One of the best ways to achieve something in life is to make it plain by writing it down.
One of the many fun customs of New Year's Eve celebrations is the singing of the ancient song "Auld Lang Syne" (Old Long Since).
Ah, peace. There have been moments this holiday season that I've experienced some of that peace on Earth. It's the peace that often comes from receiving and giving that wonderful good will to our fellow men.
No one is born with a fear of the holidays. It sort of develops.
Stress, worry and anxiety can sometimes be like the cousins you'd rather not see at your family reunion.
In light of the trend away from marriage in our country, I wonder if there is something parents could do now to help make the institution better by teaching kids about commitment.
I awoke today to a crisp, cool fall morning. Even though my neighborhood was covered in fog, it thrilled me to step outside soon after waking and see what nature was doing. Autumn is one of my favorite times of year. The fall season is colorful and quieti
I still remember a visit I took to Tijuana, Mexico, that taught me more about human behavior than a month of college work. In a market, I approached booths to look over some brightly colored items for sale.
It took the high-profile controversy involving Anita Hill and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the 1990s to give me words to explain the topsy-turvy years of high school.
It's finally here. The years have flown by, and you can't believe the child you reluctantly took to kindergarten is starting his or her senior year in high school.
Life is full of surprises. One of my greatest surprises this year is my beautiful, wild, verdant and accidental garden.
Most of us grow out of childhood fears of bullies on the playground, monsters in the closet or a parent’s arched eyebrow when we’ve done wrong. Fears of adulthood are often more complex, sometimes hidden, deeply imbedded and often relational.
Sunday found my house filled with small children and adults eating and enjoying lively discussion, play and general mischief. As the day wore on, small tasks were doled out for cleanup.
If wintertime for me is a time of bundling up and retreating inward, both physically and psychologically, summertime is the time of openness and expansion.
Last Thursday, after more than three months of enduring crutches, hopping on one leg and limping, I finally stood up and walked.
In the 1998 film “Life is Beautiful,” an Italian Jewish father is sent to a concentration camp along with his young son just before World War II ends. His desire to shield his son from the horrors all around sparked an unusual creativity in him that resulted in a continual stream of ways to keep his son from fully understanding the weight of the danger he was in. In the end, he saves not only his son’s life, but his tender mind and heart as well.
Divorce continues to rock the foundation of American marriage, and unfortunately, it’s one of the many things we lead the world in.
On a trip to California last year to celebrate a birthday, I caught up with several college friends. There was Gail, a Filipino- American; Yi Sun, a Korean-American; Cherlyn, a black American; Marcy, a white American; Fitsum, an Ethiopian, and Glenn, a Japanese- American.
As Japan reels from last week’s earthquake, tsunami and now nuclear threat, the power of the nation’s communal approach to tragedy shines brightly in the midst of the wreckage.
During a Black History Month event called Celebration of Gospel, Jazz and Poetry that I attended last month, I listened as a singer threw his head back and crooned the wistful words of “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
I was sitting on the bed talking to the surgery nurse trying to hold back tears.
Most of us hate to wait. When we learned the adage "Good things come to those who wait" in grade school, we assumed the teachers meant waiting for recess, or snack time, or summer vacation.
This week I met my “Little” for the very first time. I’ve recently become a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, an agency that matches adults with young people.
Wondering when you’ll save enough money to buy something you really want?
The misery caused by the January earthquake in Haiti invaded our eyes, our ears and our hearts. Millions around the world gave of their time and money to help.
My brother has my power drill. He’s had it all summer, and I want it back. I told him to bring it to me but, so far, nothing.
The school year has begun.
Vinny and Valerie Joy first met at a picnic for singles.
I had never been to South Georgia for vacation, so when my adventure-loving, freelancing friend invited me to accompany her on a press trip, I all but jumped at the chance.
Last Saturday I played my first, and possibly last, game of paintball. After a mid-morning rain shower, a group of young professionals entered the wet paintball course to play a match just as the sun began to burn in all its glory.
A long-time friend recently invited me to breakfast at her house. We ate on her deck, sitting at a table strewn with fresh rose petals and lit with a candle and decorated with fine dishes and a flower.
Being a “Lost” fan from its very first episode six years ago, I prioritized the watching of its finale this past Sunday, arranging my schedule around it, watching part of it at home and most of it at a neighbor’s house where we snacked and enjoyed light banter during the commercial breaks.
My friend Maggie invited me over to last weekend to look at her garden. It was beautiful. Situated in her front yard, it featured an array of interesting rocks, beautiful flowers and small but hopeful shrubs. We sat in the sun for a few minutes taking it all in.
Dating advice today is usually geared toward the young and never-married.
Parents simply amaze me. They give their lives to love, guide, finance and educate their children safely into adulthood.
My parents have just booked tickets to St. Thomas in the beautiful Caribbean.
My uncle, a lover of travel, history and culture once called me a "citizen of the world." I was taken aback, flattered by the phrase.
Lisa (not her real name) had been crying the day that we talked.
You don't have to be written about in a book to be a history maker. Most of us do it every day in small, steady ways. Ordinary citizens make history as they give of themselves to the communities around them.
I was wondering the other day, "Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned shame?" Not the kind that makes a person feel worthless or defective, but the sort of shame that regulates one's behavior.
He admits he's not your ordinary Haitian. Christian Craan, founder and bass player for the local reggae group Milele Roots since 1998, is a son of privilege -- to a degree.
It's really cold outside. I know I'm not the only one who is feeling a little pent up and boxed in. I long find some way to feel expansive in this hunker-down weather.
It's Christmas Eve, and whether you're with family today, alone, or not celebrating, I'd like to invite you to a unique gathering of friends, family, and strangers happening right here on this page. As I write and as you read, I'd like us to reflect on the hope, the joy, and the expectation that this day represents.
Just three days before Cathy Beach's 31st birthday, her mother died. The impact of that loss reverberated in her life for years. Holiday times with family seemed to lose their zing. "When my mom died, it was like I lost my core. A mother pulls the family together," she said.
The table is laden with delectable delights, its settings beautifying the room and adding to the festive glow.
Last Sunday I attended one of the best baby showers ever. This is amazing for me to say because I tend to be a cynical about the fuss people make over whether to buy pink or blue clothes (the baby doesn't care!), games that force me out of my seat and ladies discussing diaper issues.
Cherlyn always thought she had a pretty good childhood. Surrounded by family and close friends in Denver, she discovered early that she was adopted.
I wish I had a quarter for every time I've heard a parent say fretfully, "I just want my children to be happy."
One of my co-workers, who is known for his light-hearted humor and graced with an engaging smile, opened his arms wide to hug me one morning. Receiving it with laughter, I felt warmed, made ready for work and startled all at once.
I'm eating a FiberOne bar as I write this column. The information on the package promises to provide 35 percent of the fiber I need each day. Is it healthy? I have no idea.
