Summer has come to an end, and kids are going back to school, where they will spend most of their time inside. After a full day of staring at Smart Boards and computer screens, many will then turn to their phones and video games. Very few will venture outdoors, let alone play outside until the…

If you asked most people why they never pursued something they’ve always dreamed of, they’d probably say it didn’t fit into their life plan. They didn’t have time.It was too risky.It didn’t make sense.It would disrupt their carefully constructed routine.Too expensive. Too far. Too difficult. But what they probably wouldn’t admit out loud is that…

Monica was a member of my writers’ group in Dublin—a woman in her forties, robust yet graceful, with auburn hair, a ready smile, and quick wit. Married to George, she was a stay-at-home mom to three teenagers. We bonded over our shared interests: poetry, crafts, and dogs. Every Saturday, right after the writers’ group meeting,…

I have a secret daydream where I get savagely fired, my financial security shattered, so I can finally chase my deepest desires and fears. I don’t know why it has to happen this way in my inner world where I make the rules. Why not write now, without having all of my walls coming down…

At this point, most of us are acutely aware of what our 5 Love Languages are. Thank you, Dr. Gottman, for encouraging us to take the quiz to get to know ourselves a little more. The answers provide a quick guide to your partner in how best you feel and hear you are loved. Every…

Dear Teen, Your anxiety is probably lying to you. It tells you that you are not enough, right? Well, so does mine. So, I guess here we are, relapsing. You are probably just a teen, well, so am I. But that does not stop me from feeling tired, exhausted, and mostly suicidal. Your anxiety is…

I was face painting at a block party this weekend. I saw quite a few fathers out with their children. I saw a father with his boys wearing matching safari hats. Different colors and child-sized, but just like his. I thought, how cute is that! It was hot out. It was adorable to see a…

A bridge is a structure built to provide passage over an obstacle, usually something difficult to cross, such as a body of water, a road, a railway, or a valley. A bridge is also a fascinating metaphor for our lives. As we move through life, we build bridges to cross over obstacles in our relationships; to move…

Most people say Sylvia Plath’s fig tree is about indecision. You know the metaphor: every fig represents a different future. One is a writer. One is love. One is moving away. And while you’re trying to choose, the figs begin to shrivel and fall. But I don’t think the fig tree is really about indecision.…