A crucial voice always seems to be missing from the emotionally fraught battle over women’s reproductive rights. That of the legions of unwanted children that will result from women being prevented from making one of the most important decisions in their lives. What are the childhoods of unwanted kids like…

A straightforward review of my experience — I’m not someone who jumps into things, especially when there is more dough involved than say, going out to a nice dinner. I believe in thorough research and making informed decisions. As a result, I rarely regret a purchase. It was easy to spend five dollars to join Medium so…

My instincts can steer me wrong when I’m down — For decades, when I started to feel down, my instincts told me to hole up at home and avoid people. Now, when I want to cancel social plans I’d normally enjoy, a red flag goes up in my mind. …

Create moments of calm and confidence for yourself — Studies have shown that rituals make you feel more confident and in control, boost your immune system and bring some welcome predictability in a world full of uncertainty. If that isn’t enough, they can provide focus and increase your performance for high-stress tasks. My rituals only take a couple of…

The last week of the year is my favorite — For me, the week between Christmas and New Year’s day is bliss. There is absolutely nothing that I HAVE to do. It’s a lovely expanse of free time to tie up loose ends, have a good clear out, and set myself up for a great beginning to the new year. …

Start a holiday tradition of gifts that build community — Many of us have people on our holiday gift lists who can buy themselves anything they need or want. Finding gifts for them is a frustrating challenge. A while ago, I started donating in their names and the practice has gone over well. An old friend got a kick out…

We all know that the news is full of myriad kinds of suffering, from the mental health crisis to natural disasters to war. It can be overwhelming. I was recently on a group call when a distressed sounding friend asked whether it was okay to enjoy ourselves when so many…

Save trees this year — Every day, we make choices when we purchase an item. There are more and more companies dedicated to producing products sustainably. That involves using little or no ‘virgin’ materials in ALL of their products, minimal, eco-friendly packaging, and being carbon-neutral. I recycle everything I can, but it’s vital that we…

From the start, it was American women who appreciated the genius of the impressionists, post-impressionists, cubists, dadaists, and other modern art. Male-led U.S. museums rejected the revolutionary movements that blew up the narrow confines of what had been considered art for centuries. Influential women became patrons and champions of those…