My older son, Jake, turned 21 yesterday. When Jake was born, John’s boss gave us a bottle of vintage port to save for this day. Jake is studying far away, so we will have to wait until he is back home to uncork this beauty…
When I met my husband-to-be at 23 we lived in separate apartments, at diagonal corners of a large park. I remember that giddy feeling of walking to his place late at night, excited about how the night might unfold. There was a kaleidoscope of butterflies…
I have a large extended family and we get along famously—for the most part. Unfortunately there are two male members who can’t stand each other. It is so bad that they have had to be physically restrained on more than one occasion. Left to their…
I read an article yesterday by Shawn Anchor, titled “How To Achieve Happiness Despite Everyday Challenges” that appeared in The Good Men Project (a publication I also write for). Anchor is the author of “The Happiness Advantage”. Formerly at Harvard, he is now one of the…
It’s tough being a guy on Valentine’s Day. Over half of women say they would end their relationship if their partner didn’t give them anything on this annual ritual for lovers. Talk about performance anxiety! While there isn’t data on whether women are just making…
In my quixotic quest to become a nicer, less anxious and more evolved person I enrolled in a mindfulness meditation class that meets every second Monday. In our second class last week we worked on “compassion” towards others and to ourselves. One of our exercises…
When my boys left for university I tucked “launch letters” into their suitcases. While my job as hovering over-protective mother was finished, I felt I would be remiss if I did not impart invaluable maternal wisdom as they flew far away from the family nest….
A couple years ago, my son Micah had a jazz concert at The Rex on Queen Street West. He is an alto sax player, and was part of an ensemble. My sister Anita is a huge fan and came to watch him play. After the…
Have you ever fantasized about cutting your partner up into tiny little pieces, and feeding him to sharks? Me neither. Except when my husband is sending me into orbit over differences in how we manage money. Then all bets are off. Money has been a…
Here is what took two decades of being in a heterosexual relationship to learn. Like many people, my husband: 1. Takes what I say at face value. 2. Is not able to read my mind. I wrote a thesis on gender differences in cognitive functioning…