Happy Mother’s Day
To mothers everywhere
We know that once they come out
There is no turning back
And that it all gets harder with age
Not easier
Family
Mother’s Day Poem
My Wish
by guest blogger Renee James. As a parent, I never realized how much I would kind of want to stop time. I kept track of the milestones and foolishly counted the days. The days until what? No diapers? No car seats? No childhood? That was, I now know, pointless and extremely shortsighted.
Breaking the Webs of My Weaving
by guest blogger Renee James. Several years ago, I referenced a poem, “A Wish for My Children” by Evangeline Paterson, in a column I wrote to mark the passage of time as my boys were growing up—living through those exploratory years that bridge the end of childhood and the beginning of adolescence. What I didn’t quite recognize at the time—even though the poem references it so beautifully—is that they were beginning grow stronger—and away from me—already. In my mind, we had so many more years together.
Toxic Back-to-School Gear
by guest blogger Mike Schade. While millions of children across America returned to school this month, many parents were unaware that children’s back-to-school products currently on store shelves contain high levels of toxic chemicals called phthalates, used to soften vinyl plastic. These chemicals are so toxic they’ve been banned for use in toys in the United States because of adverse health effects like birth defects, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and diabetes, among others.
What We Leave Behind
The other day I was up at my brother’s old cabin, which I have taken over to restore as a writing and painting retreat. I’ve let the landscape go wild and crazy, the way it was when he and I first saw it more than 30 years ago. In the morning light I noticed what looked suspiciously like gladiolas over by the old wishing well. There is only one person who could have planted those and that would be my brother, who died of AIDS 27 years ago.
How to Undo the Damage
of Negativity
by guest bloggers Harville Hendrix, PhD, and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD. Hurtful words in a relationship can be like a drop of red dye in a glass of water that turns the whole glass pink. What starts out as a slip of the tongue, a small slight from one person to another, sets a process in motion that slowly (or quickly) permeates a relationship and begins to define its tone.
5 Things I Discovered
while Home Alone
Some strange confluence of activities meant I had my first weekend home alone that I can remember. Probably in forever. I love my kids, of course I do. And I want them all to return home safely. But I must say I learned a lot about myself this weekend that I don’t want to forget.
Three Steps to Save Your Marriage
(Or Any Relationship, for That Matter)
by guest blogger Harville Hendrix. With a little investment (from your heart, not your wallet)—small changes in the way you treat your spouse—will not only lead to his or her happiness, but also to warmly returned, mutual support that will cushion you from your own life’s daily blows and demands. Here’s my three-step plan for saving relationships:
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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