Are You a True Romantic? You may be surprised by the answer. — When you think of a romantic, you might imagine a middle-aged mom marathon-watching Hallmark movies with a box of tissues. The truth is, the first Romantics described themselves not by their obsession with falling in love but by their deep appreciation of nature. So are you a true romantic? Do…

Escape Reality With An Old Favorite This Weekend. — After making the mistake of watching the late-night news, sleep eluded me last night. Worries that I have no control over have been invading my thoughts, troubling my dreams, and majorly inducing my anxiety. Sometimes, a distraction is needed to reset the nervous system, and there are scientific reasons to…

Reduce social anxiety and improve self-control with this simple cognitive tool — Lizzo is undeniably a star. Her upbeat, self-loving, body-positive anthems provide a departure from the melancholy and many times depressing song offerings on the radio. Everyone from Beyonce to Rihanna to Eddie Murphy’s kid is a fan. Surprisingly, though, when Lizzo first decided the music business was for her, she…

Birdwatching comes with distractions. — I don’t know about you, but I can’t concentrate on a thing lately. I start reading a book, and my attention is immediately taken by, well, anything. I wander around my house and yard, aimlessly looking for a task that my attention span will allow me to finish. …

A summer filled with music of the ’90s was a chance to relive my youth. — With venues shuttered and the familiar walls of our living rooms the latest locale for our favorite acts, it’s no wonder music fans across the globe are holding their breath in anticipation of the moment live music returns to the stage. As I wait, I’m looking back on the summer…

Enjoy a sparkling home and limit your family’s exposure to unnecessary toxins. — A stretch of warm weather in the Northeast has unleashed my inner clean freak. She has been locked-up for this locked-down year out of mental health necessity. …

A quiet house offers space for uninterrupted thought. — This is the accidental love story between the bad boy of nighttime, insomnia, and my newest darling, writing on Medium. I have just recently linked the pair up, and they are a great match. I’m sharing this story to assist others that may benefit from a similar love connection. In…

Today is my daughter’s birthday. — Today marks 14 years that we have had my daughter’s funny, intelligent, creative spirit in our family. She is bright and easygoing now, but we were told that she would not live to see this day when I was pregnant. Two days before Christmas The doctor realized that my daughter’s kidneys’ measurements were off…

Danger and Responsibility Lurk Around Every Corner. — “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.” — Gen. Colin L. Powell. Life is scary. As we get older, the glaring risk in everyday activity becomes hard to ignore. Becoming a parent, especially, exposes the risk in everything. This is…