latestApril 13, 2020

In an Alternate Reality

In the alternate-reality version of this weekend, my husband and I would be at an elaborate Indian-Nepalese wedding in Minneapolis.... more

December 30, 2019

Single During the Holidays? It Could Be Worse

If you’re single during the holidays, someone is bound to point it out. It might be your great-aunt Bertha, your overly concerned mother or even a well-intentioned married friend.... more

December 16, 2019

New Choices for Family Game Night

The holidays can bring families together in ways that provoke unwanted drama. So, it can be helpful to structure some of that free time. The controlled chaos of family game night can provide a repriev... more

December 24, 2018

The Best Gifts

I recently asked my 13-year-old son what the best gift I’ve ever given him was. He answered right away: “Life.” OK, fair enough, I said. But, set that aside.... more

November 19, 2018

Civility Over the Holidays

Over the past two years, many politically split families have perfected the art of avoidance.... more

June 11, 2018

Tears in My Pancakes: A Ramadan Story

This is a Ramadan story about how I ended up crying in an IHOP.... more

April 30, 2018

Parents Busted in Tooth Fairy Sting

Armaan Ahmad, 9, had some suspicions about the Tooth Fairy, so he set up a sting operation.... more

April 09, 2018

A Vacation With Teens: Finding Our Footing

When the recording on the shuttle bus warned about deadly flash floods, I smiled at my children decked in their waterproof Gore-Tex bodysuits and repeated the message.... more

May 15, 2017

The Hidden Grief of Abandoned Parents

Sharon Wildey spends holidays, especially this one, calling mothers whose phones won’t ring otherwise.... more

January 02, 2017

Can Narcissists Ever Change?

Resolving to drop some extra pounds is a popular way to start the new year, but a bad relationship can also be weighing you down.... more

December 26, 2016

Secondhand Decorations Can Create Brand-New Memories

When it's time to take down the tree and pack the decorations, there are fresh memories of the holidays going into storage, as well. For some, those memories were made around secondhand trees.... more

May 09, 2016

When Mother's Day Hurts

It's impossible to escape Mother's Day.... more

December 28, 2015

A Time To Teach Gratitude

The two 10-year-old girls must have been freezing outside the grocery store in suburban St. Louis, but it wasn't obvious to passers-by.... more

November 30, 2015

Thankful for the Strange, Insignificant Things

I used to prompt my relatives to say what they were thankful for before the Thanksgiving turkey was carved.... more

September 21, 2015

SEIZING CONTROL FROM YOUR 'DARLING BULLY'

A celebration at the Buddhist center lost its zen when Sean Grover's daughter had a complete meltdown.... more

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