Exploring one of life's most valuable gifts
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 →
Lately I’ve been experiencing an emotion I was introduced to early last year when I read about it in famed vulnerability researcher Brene Brown’s helpful book, Atlas of the Heart, which Julia and I both wrote about in separate posts. The emotion is called Freudenfreude, and it’s a mouthful, but really it’s just the feeling... 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 →
A 2023 Oscar nominee for Best International Film and Grand Jury Prize winner at Cannes, The Belgian film Close tackles the theme of young male friendship. The film begins with a beautiful depiction of a close summer friendship between two 13-year-old boys that takes a very dark turn after the school year begins and the... 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 →
By now, everyone seems to have heard the message about how important exercise is for our mental and physical well-being. But knowing it and doing it are two different things. One of the best ways I've found to maintain a fitness routine is to find a type of exercise I enjoy doing and then get... 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 →
I went out to dinner with three friends last Thursday evening at a nice suburban restaurant that I’ve been to many times before. The food and ambience are always lovely there. My friends and I had been planning and looking forward to this chance to get out and catch up for weeks. We’ve known each... Continue Reading →
Language of Friendship 