Archive for

I’ve jumped on and fallen off the meditation wagon for years. Sometimes, a New Year’s resolution got me to put my butt on a cushion and focus on my breathing. Other times, inspiration struck after I attended a talk or a workshop about mindfulness. Still other times, I simply craved the extra layer of emotional “padding” that regular meditation gives me.

Consider this:

Summer is heading our way, which makes this the official season for making family travel plans. Last summer, I spent some time traveling with teens. (You, too, may have participated in such an anthropological experiment. Perhaps we should compare notes.) In my case, the teens in question were my two lads, ages 14 and 16. Because I love them both deeply and did not wish to make them cry, our road trip around the East Coast included plenty of teen-approved activities such as leaping off high rocks into deep pools of cold, clear water and eating at least one maple creemee every day.

Consider this:

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed that our nation seems to have expanded its definition of “hero.” It’s no longer reserved for firefighters, police officers, teachers, and all the folks who regularly put themselves on the frontlines of saving, helping, educating, and inspiring. Now, the word “hero” includes this chilling definition: “Kids who fight back before being shot to death at school.”

Read more