When you reach a certain age (in my case, it was in my mid-40s), parents of friends begin to have health problems and/or pass away. Over the past 10 years, I’ve been to many funerals, including several very recently. I nearly always cry, but I also frequently smile, and often…
When I was a kid, I was told “Don’t talk to strangers, don’t take candy from strangers, don’t get into a car with a stranger.” When my kids were young, I told them similar things, plus I taught them to avoid the dangers from the nascent world of social media.…
This is a guest post by Ashley Hardway Ever since I can remember, I have been using humor to alleviate anxieties in relationships and in life situations that would otherwise be overwhelming to me. Some people, like my own mother, do not understand how I can make light of things…
Last week I posted part one of my parenting suggestions. Here’s part two: 1. Protect your kids from internet dangers. I thought everyone was aware of the dos and don'ts, but I recently showed my cousin I could figure out his daughter's school, what team she is on, her best friend's…
This week, our oldest, our son Jeremy, graduates from college. As my wife Marcie would say, we’ve done all we can and he’s fully cooked. He was pretty well cooked in many ways before he headed off to college, yet while he’s much the same person he was at that…
Last year, when Marcie and I celebrated our 25th anniversary, I published an article in the Six Simple Rules newsletter with my thoughts about marriage, and about divorce (and happiness). A version of the article was published on the new Love Fairy site, a sister site to Purpose Fairy, where…
I’ve been a fan of Joshua Becker’s blog on minimalism and simplicity for several years. Last year, an article I wrote was published on his site. I’ve also enjoyed his books, and now he has a new one, Clutterfree with Kids, and I'm pleased to write this book review. While…
This is a guest post by Linda Bailey. Many of us have too much stress in our lives. All these pressures—whether from work, family, school, community, church, or even recreational commitments—can take a toll on us. Finding ways to deal with the stress is important to a healthy and happier…
This is a guest post by Roman Soluk. From a very young age, we are taught not to lie. Even if we fail to heed those early instructions, we tell the same thing our children: It’s bad to lie! An average person lies approximately 20 times a day. Why do…
Last summer I went whitewater rafting with my wife and a couple of wonderful friends who had very graciously invited us to stay with them at their upstate New York time share. We departed the lodge at 7:30am and arrived at the rafting place around 9:00am. It was a long…
Listening well is an important skill in our lives—personally and professionally. In this guest post by Kevin Clarke, we hear about a dad and the hard work of really hearing what his son is saying to him. Kevin is a writer for America Magazine and this piece is reprinted with…
Harnessing the power of thinking—knowing that what we think has a huge impact on how we feel, and then putting that knowledge to use—has had powerful results for me. I’ve also learned that discounting other people’s feelings is a mistake and I’ve gotten better over time at balancing the power…