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We arrive at the MET’s American Wing fountain around 11:45 AM. We are on a treasure hunt of sorts. What I don’t expect is how emotional this fountain will make me feel.

Our visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was conceived six months earlier after I discover a gorgeously written book by Patrick Bringley, a security guard who spent ten years working at the Met. A writer by trade, Bringley finds himself adrift and seeking answers after the untimely death of his beloved older brother at the … [Read more...] about One wish for yourself, and then another, just as big, for someone else

I'm making small talk at a party this past June with a well-known local violinist. We finally land at a point of common interest—our passion for practice, whether in the arts or in sports. I’m an avid tennis player and Uli, the violinist, lifts weights.

“Ah, weight lifting,” I say. “I’ve done it off and on over the years. I know I should be doing it, but I always end up pulling my back out.”

A week or so later, an email arrives from Uli. “You should meet Josh. He’s been my wife’s and my … [Read more...] about New Book: Doing This ONE Thing Can Improve Your Life

A week ago today, I was awakened at 6 AM to strange guttural sounds. At first, I thought it was coming from outside, then my dog downstairs, and as I leapt out of bed, I knew instantly it was my beloved cat.
There, on the closet floor, just under the hanging clothes, my cat of 15 years lay on his side as he struggled to breathe. I got down next to him, gently caressing his head, saying, “I’m here.” My voice caught in my throat and I called to my husband, “Bill,” and the way I said it Bill knew. … [Read more...] about How to survive loss; the transformational power of art; and being fully present

I sit in one of the folding metal chairs that lines the perimeter of the gym. It’s Friday night dance class at Bryan Junior High in 1977. I’m wearing a skirt, pantyhose, and white gloves as per dance class dress code. Girls sit with one ankle behind the other and hands clasped together on laps.
Boys wear shirts and ties and sit with both feet on the floor and palms faced down on each thigh. 
None of these formalities, however, will save me from the embarrassment of what’s to come.
We all … [Read more...] about Choose Your Story, Change Your Life

When my dad died at the end of 2019, my mom was thinking of selling her house in Elmhurst and moving to a condo nearby. She and Dad had lived there since 1972. It’s where I grew up and subsequently where our three children spent a good deal of their childhood visiting their grandparents.
Even before Dad was gone, with coffee mugs in our hands, we used to gather around mom and dad’s dining room table and imagine how fun it would be to build a family compound together. My sister Cat was planning … [Read more...] about Why There’s A Waitlist To Live In Our Basement