Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year’s theme is More Than Enough. We live in a world dominated by social media showing curated lives of perfect families, love lives and job promotions. Comparing our lives to others can be damaging to our mental health, and building lives full of connection and acceptance is... Continue Reading →
By all accounts Monday, February 6th was shaping up to be a pretty good day. The temperature had warmed a bit over the weekend and most of the snow and ice had melted. By then, I was several months into a new routine, regularly commuting by train to Chicago for an interim university job. On... Continue Reading →
As a child in the 1970s, the anti-smoking advertising and public health messages in school and on TV made a lasting impression on me. I recall stories of classmates lecturing their parents on the dangers of smoking and even flushing cigarettes down the toilet. This was a decade before the health impact of second-hand smoke... Continue Reading →
I learned a few years ago not to ask a graduating senior about their post-high-school plans unless they first bring up the topic. One Thanksgiving, I innocently asked my niece if she had heard from any colleges yet, not realizing the stress that question triggered. My sister quickly set me straight, explaining how drawn out... Continue Reading →
April is one of my favorite months. While March signals the start of Spring, it’s April when flowers start reliably blooming, even for those of us living in the Northern parts of the United States. The days are getting longer, and it’s hard not to be optimistic when warmer weather awaits. Even the name ‘April’... Continue Reading →
I am a cat person. I like dogs too, but it was a cat who kept me company during my years of teen angst in the 1980s, another cat who was my steadfast companion during my divorce when I only had my boys 50% of the time, and three small cats who turned my house... Continue Reading →
As we approach the mid-point of Women’s History Month 2023, LOF would like to celebrate the innumerable women-identifying writers, artists, activists and others who are telling our stories while making history. Stories can be shared in a variety of ways, through narrative, art or music, as well as through the many important organizations that help... Continue Reading →
Guest post alert: This week, my sister Liz Witherspoon shares memories of a friendship between our mom and uncle that has inspired the next generation of cousins to form tight bonds of their own. As the wheels touch down in Buenos Aires, my phone pings with Whatsapp pictures and messages from my cousins and sister... Continue Reading →
When I turned 30, I felt like I had reached a huge milestone and I began reflecting and evaluating where I was in life personally and professionally. I was two years out of business school and enjoying my work in Chicago at the Quaker Oats Co. Professionally, I was in a good place. On the... Continue Reading →
About two years ago, this blog featuring stories of friendship was born amidst a time of loss and isolation. In early 2021, vaccines were slowly being rolled out, but the many pandemic-related losses were still raw. Our children missed important milestones at school and our work lives were disrupted by the uncertainty and financial impact... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 