5 Reasons I Love My Husband, Even in the Moments When I Forget

It is a truth universally acknowledged* that marriage isn’t easy. I’ve never met a perfect person, and therefore I’ve never encountered a perfect union (neither human nor country). I could storm and rage and tell stories and give you a litany of imperfections in my own marriage. Beloved and I, we’re flawed and human. We […]

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How Protest Songs Have Moved Us to Agitate for Change in the World

The world of film and music has always been a part of the fabric of social change. It has the power to move us, challenge us and change us. In the 1960s and 1970s, a South African man, Steve Biko, was a vocal advocate of non-violent protest as a means to ending racial division in […]

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Work Life Balance is the Biggest Social Challenge for Western Societies

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard spoke at a gathering in New York a couple of weeks ago at the Australian Consulate. He was Australia’s second longest serving Prime Minister, from 1996 to 2007, and represented the Australian Liberal Party. Before my conservative friends stop reading, in a “the world is upside down moment,” the […]

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Please Bless All the People

Every night since Sandy Hook, my 6 year old son has uttered essentially the same prayer. “Please bless all the people and all the earth that no bad things will happen and that everyone will be OK.” Clearly this last week (and many of the weeks prior) this prayer has not felt answered. He doesn’t know […]

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How to Make Your Family More Resilient

In the 48 hours from our pre-wedding dinner with our families to arrival at the honeymoon destination, a series of unfortunate events that in my twenties I would have considered unmitigated disasters, were in my thirties great fodder for future family story-telling. As we went through the list with our kids over a wedding anniversary […]

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Sweet Potato Fries and the US Federal Budget

I know. You’re wondering, has she finally lost it. Because what on earth could the humble sweet potato possibly have to do with the US Federal Budget? Well, I’ll get there. But first…Some of you know I’m an Aussie. So my experiences with sweet potato have nothing to do with Thanksgiving or marshmallow (that’s a […]

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I Give Because I’m Selfish

It’s year end donation time. Honestly, it makes me a bit sad how charitable organizations plead for final year end funds, reminding us to get our last tax deductible gifts in before the financial year ends. About one third of all giving happens in December and over one-fifth happens in the last two days of […]

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Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

We went to see the kindest, most gentle Santa I’ve ever met yesterday. He looked entirely the part. Every detail of his suit as it should be. A real bushy white beard and bright ruddy complexion. But he also felt the part. His spirit emanated love and all that Father Christmas in his purest form […]

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Food As A Sign of Love

I grew up with one of those families. The kind with parents who are only satisfied if you’ve eaten everything on your plate and then some. The kind who shows their love by making sure you’re completely stuffed by the time you leave the table. Food as a sign of hospitality and love is a […]

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Back to School Anywhere Else After Sandy Hook

I don’t know what today feels like for a teacher. But I know what it feels like for a mother. I’m betting those feelings are pretty similar, no matter your gender or the number of your offspring. It’s my baby’s birthday. His birth story is wonderful, rich with memories and love. But I can’t tell […]

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