This weekend, the United States celebrated the 244-year anniversary of its independence. Gone (with one notable exception—at Mt. Rushmore) were the huge gatherings of people watching fireworks displays. Gone (mostly) were the overcrowded beaches and the holiday-sale-stocked malls. Some of us had smaller social distancing bar-b-ques in our backyards. Others watched the exciting debut of…

100,000 deaths. 100,000. 40,800,000 unemployed. Almost 41 million!   Numbers, number, numbers. Relentless, ever-climbing, numbers. They’re like drumbeats that won’t cease. It’s easy to get lost in all those numbers, and sadly, to become numb to them. You don’t need me to remind you of all the stark numbers out there.   So, this week,…

COVID-19 incites fear. The mixed messages, the uncertainty, and the tangible changes to life as we’d known it stokes the flames. Unfortunately, when people feel fear, things often get ugly.   Ageism, though not a new phenomenon in our country, has most recently been given a new voice—and new airwaves. I’ve included below a little…

Toilet paper. Toilet paper. Toilet paper. It seemed for a while that the nation’s worry about the availability of TP ranked just below the concern for the ill, the death tolls, and the economy.   One of the unforeseen fallouts of the COVID19 pandemic has been the run (excuse the pun) on toilet paper. The…

When I first heard that schools were closing due to COVID 19—indefinitely—and that parents would have to take over much of the teaching and entertaining, I thought (only half-jokingly) I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. Add to that the social distancing regulations, which nixed all playdates and trips to the playground, and the…

“What a difference a day makes.” This statement is never more true than it is during times of great uncertainty and change.   Uncertainty and change—two phenomena most of us find exceptionally difficult to manage. As humans, we much prefer business as usual. We like to know that what and whom we count on will…

“Gum,” Steven said in the car, while we were at a stop sign on Wyndmoor Way in Wyndmoor Village, the 55+ community we spent this past January and February. “Gum tickles my throat and makes me cough.”   I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt—now. I had said something that may have been unclear…

Last week, I interviewed an amazing woman–Greta Holt. A deeply devoted Mennonite, Greta’s religious beliefs inform her social activism. I became interested in learning more about Greta when I met her in a MasterMind group we both were a part of. I am grateful that our introduction at the MM also introduced me to her…

Childhood bullying can have lasting effects on our self-esteem and relationships. Bullying, however, does not always end when we graduate middle or high school. Unfortunately, bullying can persist well beyond our childhood years, well into adulthood. I find we’re of two minds as a society when it comes to bullying. On the one hand, the…

It seems to me that the world is being taken over by bullies. Just spend five minutes on twitter, and you’ll find examples of strangers trying desperately to squash other strangers with hateful language just because they have a difference of opinion.   Bully Mentality Is Toxic   Det samme gælder for dem, der bruger…