Growing Bolder Community

However satisfying the activities, busy schedules wreck havoc on family mealtime. To accommodate hectic lifestyles, the average family spends $2,668 each year on outside dining. Unless you are vigilant, family meals can easily disappear from your routine. Multiple studies confirm that families who eat together enjoy better physical and mental health. In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective...

I had a reading of my book, Late Night Musings, and a signing at a local adult community (adult as in age, not sexual inclinations). It took place at their weekly coffee and bagel get-together. There were about thirty people, ages fifty and above, in attendance - more for the bagels than to hear me I think. Anyway, I briefly explained how the book came to be then read about...

Making it through the holidays is a lot like being on a roller-coaster ride. The highs of delightful gatherings can be offset by the lows of money worries. The joy of reunions can be dampened by sadness for family members who are no longer with us or from whom we are estranged. Mounting expectations can be crushed by the disappointment of reality.Whatever your situation, be gentle with yourself as...

I’m full of the day I just experienced. My niece is 29 today. Typhannie is one month older than my son who has just completed the coursework for his Ph.D. Our family was heart broken when we found out she was pregnant again this past year (sans husband). Last fall, however, a miracle happened. My brother, with whom she resides, called me with a question- “What would you think if...

As I approach my 58th birthday this week, I’ve been reflecting on all the love in my life. My family has already begun celebrating this seemingly non-significant birthday number. My daughter took me shopping for yoga clothes a couple of weeks ago when she visited. Additional presents were stashed away to be presented on the "actual day". My son and his girlfriend surprised me with a magical...

I recently attended a family reunion in South Georgia, my mother’s family homestead. (Homestead is a bit of an overstatement.) My mother’s paternal grandmother extracted her from this tiny town when she was eight, taking her to live in Orlando. I, nor others in my family, ever learned why she left, a mystery which will remain unsolved since my Mom died almost 30 years ago. My...

My son and I arose early this Sunday morning to attend a Quaker service. I’d not ever been to a Friends Meeting before. There were no pews, no alter, no crucifix, not even a minister per se. Congregants entered the meeting house quietly, taking their seats in straight backed chairs. Taking our cue from those surrounding us, we closed our eyes. Silence enveloped us like soft cushions from a comfy...