In 2021-22, I dropped 30 pounds by changing four habits. Period. And while I’m not one of those people who needs to be thin, I do like to feel nimble and strong enough to do anything. How did I do it? I’m more than willing to share. Let’s start with admitting that COVID pounds are evil. They sneak up on you and gather around your middle. They convince you – briefly – to move on to larger pants sizes and more comfort food. After taking time off in early July to recharge, I fou

Hunched over my desk, I held the phone in a death grip as one of my editors and I debated how to avoid a nuisance lawsuit from, honestly, a big nuisance. Usually, these fights energized me, but my patience was wearing thin. We were on a tight deadline to decide what words to publish when my office door opened briefly and then closed again. I turned around and saw a little yellow dog sniffing the floor. She looked up and wagged her tail. “I have a puppy in my office,” I blurte

As I left my mother’s apartment, I glanced at my watch. As usual, we had visited longer than planned as we got caught up in laughing and sharing stories. I treasured these visits with her, especially since my father’s death eighteen months earlier. You truly have to enjoy every moment you can, I told myself as I entered the elevator. In the ride down two floors, I thought about the call I had just received moments earlier from my friend Brenda. A wicked storm had just passed

A reflection on why people turn away from those who desperately need help  or a simple act of kindness Dear Stranger, You caught me off guard as I blew out of the coffee shop on that cold, windy, wintry night. Your words – “Please help me. I’m homeless – barely registered as I headed for my destination. I was also cold and intent on keeping moving. Obviously, I didn’t think – in the moment – about how much worse the cold would affect you. I rushed to the shelter of my car the

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