Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
When you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you goAlexandra Stoddard Thinking about the places I’ve called home sometimes feels like recalling a lifelong friend. Much like a close friend can be counted on to provide companionship and solace, certain places can evoke the same emotions. As the setting for memorable... Continue Reading →
On July 4th the community of Highland Park was attacked by gunfire. The reactions to the sudden violence and terror in this suburban Chicago community range from shock to sadness, and fear to anger. In the past decade, this kind of violence has become more common, and our collective response has been a futile attempt... Continue Reading →
Even if you've never been to summer camp, you can probably imagine how quickly bonds form when you're very young and living among your peers in tight conditions. My first sleep-away camp experience was at a YWCA camp when I was seven years old in a magical environment, located deep in the woods near the... Continue Reading →
When I remember childhood Father’s Day celebrations with my dad, I think of a trip to one of our favorite Smithsonian museums when we were still living near Washington, D.C., or sharing some of his homemade pizza when I was a teen in Kentucky. Those were special moments with my dad that my siblings and... Continue Reading →
Good friends follow you anywhere. Winnie the Pooh I love to travel and can’t remember a time when the anticipation of a trip didn’t make my days a little brighter. Growing up in the Southeastern United States far from extended family meant annual summer road trips to see them in New England. While our destination... Continue Reading →
Everyone needs a friend like Arthur, and I don't mean the aardvark (although he's a good friend too!). If you've been watching ABC's televised singing competition American Idol this season, then you know exactly which Arthur I'm talking about. Arthur is a young, construction worker from rural Kentucky who was 100% confident that his friend... Continue Reading →
The teaching profession, matching wedding invitations, and motherhood were the elements that connected my mom to one of the most meaningful friendships of her life that has impacted the next two generations. In her late 20s, my mom had spent a summer with her brother and his new wife in Washington, DC, where she met... Continue Reading →
Every time I happen to hear any one of the 14 songs on The Cars' self-titled debut album, I am emotionally transported back several decades into my friend Alex's car. I rode shotgun next to Alex nearly every day for three years on our way to and from high school, with The Cars cassette loaded... Continue Reading →
“Plant the garden of your life with friendship’s lovely flowers.”Unknown Spending my childhood in Virginia and Kentucky, I grew to love the many beautiful flowers and trees in my yards. Our house in Arlington was lined with colorful azalea bushes, and I found comfort in the dogwood and magnolia trees with their trusty blooms each... Continue Reading →
When a neighborhood acquaintance invited me to join a book group 20 years ago, I was skeptical. I was incredibly busy with my job and a new baby. Also, as a writer, I'm very picky about my reading list. I had zero interest in mixing books with gossip, wine and frivolous banter. Maybe it's nerdy,... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 