Gift-Giving: How Can I Stop Overspending
“Our family has always had such a good time being together at Christmas, and I don’t want things to change, though I see that they must. What should I do?”
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Through a Female Lens, Documentaries by Women
More women are joining the documentary profession each year. In fact, seventy percent of the new documentary professionals represented are women. Here are several worth listening to.
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Holiday Gifts That Don’t Cost Anything
This holiday season, I would like to offer five gifts you may consider giving yourself. They don’t cost anything but may leave you feeling merrier this holiday season.
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“Snorkeling,” by Allison Funk
The poem evocatively opens with a question: “What if, late in my life, / an old love returned?”
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The Healing Power of Thanksgiving
Family holidays offer ideal opportunities to lay down our weapons and remember the ways in which we are all supported by each other.
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In Marielle Heller’s ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” Tom Hanks Fills a Familiar Cardigan
The framework of the movie is presented in a risky but ultimately rewarding way. The entire film is in a sense a single episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
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Winterize Your Skin
Although winter begins officially on December 21, protecting the complexion and skin from the ravages of dry overheated indoor air and windy cold dry blasts outdoors require attention sooner.
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“Poem,” by Joan Naviyuk Kane
In today’s poem, “Poem,” by Joan Naviyuk Kane, the speaker’s search for a word in Inupiaq, the language of her mother, uncovers compounded losses—natural, cultural, ancestral, and personal—that have accrued over time and echo through generations.
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A Blueprint for Change: The Four Rs
While we are mostly consistent, circumstances do have a large effect on our behavior, and how we understand a situation can make all the difference.
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‘The Crown,’ Season 3: A Tale of Two Sisters
It's a testament to the entire creative team — and most especially to the sublime acting talents of Colman, Bonham Carter, and company, that 'The Crown' offers never a dull moment.
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Congestive Heart Failure in Women
This week’s post addresses the concerns of a 53-year old woman who has suffered heart failure. Dr. Allen has asked cardiologist Dr. James Blake, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, to describe the diagnosis and treatment of early congestive heart failure, especially in women.
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Poetry Sunday: “All the Hungry Falcons,”
by Dion O’Reilly
"I read somewhere that as falcons starve, their vision sharpens. I knew I wanted to write about that hunger and the resulting enhanced power—like a superhero’s power." — Dion O'Reilly
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Keeping the Peace at Thanksgiving
As a therapist, every year I’m caught short by how quickly it comes upon us: the season of misery caused by holidays.
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‘Last Christmas,’ An Imperfectly Satisfying Holiday Treat
'Last Christmas' is a jukebox musical based on popular songs by the late George Michael. For those who loved his music (and even for those who may be new to it), Michael's songs add a wistful and poetic thread.
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Addressing Difficult Issues With Family
Honestly and Thoughtfully
Dr. Megan Riddle offers ten ways to discuss difficult issues with family members—without causing a big rift.
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Poetry Sunday: “Figures,” by Wendy Videlock
What “Figures” seems to be both expressing and enacting is the infinite interconnectedness of things and the way that metaphor (and other figures of speech) can help us in apprehending that mystery.
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Take Control of Your Self-Image:
Feed the Good Wolf
How much power do we have to overcome and change a negative self-image?
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‘Harriet’: An Overdue Celebration of An American Heroine
We may have to wait for Harriet Tubman to appear on our currency. But telling her story is long overdue. Kasi Lemmons's film is a first-rate place to start.
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Your Face Reflects How You Live and
How You Care for Your Complexion
The goal of your skincare routine should not be to achieve perfection of the Instagram filtered posts but to tune up your complexion so it’s functioning at its best and targeted areas that require extra care are addressed.
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“Radiance,” “Truant,” and “Marking Him,”
by Margaret Hasse
My father, a math and astronomy professor at a small university in the rural Midwest, taught me to look up and learn about the night sky.
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The Benefits of Change: Retiring, Relocating or Reinventing Yourself
There comes a time, though, when old habits and patterns are obsolete, or when circumstances change enough so that they don’t work the way they used to.
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‘Modern Love’:
From The New York Times to Amazon Prime
'Modern Love' is a particularly intelligent and mature series (not really surprising, given its prestigious roots). And, with a decade and a half of essays to choose from, it can be extended for many seasons to come.
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Perimenopausal Heavy Bleeding: Is It Normal?
Physiological change in the menopausal transition will cause many alterations in hormonal, physical and emotional aspects of life, but it is not the cause of every symptom in a woman past age 40. New symptoms must always be evaluated.
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Poetry Sunday: “All Hallows Night,”
by Lizette Woodworth Reese
I love Lizette Woodworth Reese’s “All Hallows Night” because it bridges religions and cultures as a remembrance of people—family members, community heroes, saints, and martyrs—who have died.
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