I’ve always considered November to be the month of gratitude. This is not to say that gratitude shouldn’t be practiced every month of the year, but during this month, I believe it’s particularly important to make it a priority…

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, I am deeply aware of my own journey, as this year marks my 20th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. When diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) at the age of 47, I was happily raising…

Although suicide isn’t a subject most of us like to talk about, the fact is that September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is an issue that has been occupying my mind for more than five decades. It all began when I was 10 years old…

My oldest grandchild just turned five, and since he was born, I have been blessed with four more grandchildren. Becoming a grandparent has been a magical experience for me. I never knew that it would elicit an entirely new set of thoughts and emotions…

When I was six years old, at sleepaway camp, I wrote my first poem and sent it to my parents in a letter. I was extremely homesick, so writing those words helped me express and release those feelings. The form of my poem was different from those…

March is Women’s History Month, and there are so many women to honor who’ve carved an important place in history. This month, I choose to highlight someone whose writing has personally changed my life: writer Anaïs Nin…

Whether you believe in “Hallmark Card” holidays like Valentine’s Day or not, the month of February, also known as the Month of Love, is a good time to think about someone you love, either alive or passed. But instead of sending flowers…

I’ve been journaling since the age of 10, when my mother gave me a journal to help me cope with the death of my grandmother, who’d been my caretaker. Little did I realize that my mother’s seemingly simple gesture would set the stage…

Like many others this year, my husband and I will not be traveling across the country to celebrate the holidays with our family. Instead, our plan is to have a small gathering of family members who live nearby, whom we’ve been…

The holiday season is often marked by the loss of loved ones, so it’s a good idea to be prepared for the inevitable. I am a well-published writer, so it seems that when a close friend or family member dies, I’m asked to write the eulogy.