In her new book “An Altar in the World,” bestselling author Barbara Brown Taylor writes about “the practice of paying attention.” She explains: The practice of paying attention is as simple as looking twice at people and things you might just as easily ignore. To see takes ti...

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it also takes a village — at best a supportive community, and at the least a few very good friends — to keep a person sane and happy. All of us need companionship, which is exactly why teenagers are texting their friends in the middle o...

Of all my tools to combat depression and negativity, humor is by far the most fun. And just like mastering the craft of writing, I’m finding that the longer I practice laughing at life—and especially its frustrations–the better I become at it, and the more situations and conversations ...

According to Peggy Vaughan, the author of “The Monogamy Myth,” 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women will have an affair at some point in their marriage. In other words, the person who stays monogamous within her marriage is among a growing minority. Twelve years into my marriage, I ...

According to Peggy Vaughan, the author of “The Monogamy Myth,” 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women will have an affair at some point in their marriage. In other words, the person who stays monogamous within her marriage is among a growing minority. Twelve years into my marriage, I ...

I’m easily overwhelmed. When my kids’ exuberant screams reach a decibel level my ears can’t tolerate, when Chuck E., the life-size “rat” at the pizza place, starts doing his jig while flashing arcade lights blind me, or when I open my email to find 100 messages–I ...

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.: I have a dream that one day I won’t hold my breath every time I tell a person that I suffer from bipolar disorder, that I won’t feel shameful in confessing my mental illness. I have a dream that people won’t feel the need to applaud me for...

We’ve officially entered the hard months, the “dark ages” as the midshipmen at the Naval Academy say: the time of the year when the sun disappears and the pale complexions of your friends remind you that you had better take your vitamins or else you’ll have a cold to go with ...

I know what you’re thinking: another cheesy, goody-two-shoes article on how I can keep all those goals I’ve set going into 2009. If you abhor such articles (like 10 ways to declutter your bathroom), then keep on reading. I’m like you. Normal. 1. Bribe yourself. A so-called parenting expert tha...

It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but not if negative emotions take hold of your holidays. So let’s be honest. The holidays are packed with stress and therefore provoke tons of depression and anxiety. But there is hope. Whether I’m fretting about something as...