Relationships & Spirituality
Stories about relationships, emotional and spiritual well-being
A Survivor’s Wife Remembers 9-11
As told to her friends Verlie McAlister Edwards and Leanne Kinsey Ivey Editor’s note: Twenty years after terrorists flew American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon, Mel Birdwell, the wife of Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brian Birdwell, shares her remembrances of the day and the...
Sisters by Choice: Bright Line Besties
Bright Line Eating (BLE) is a program promoting healthy eating for weight loss. There are four “bright lines” to follow: No flour, no sugar, eat only at mealtime, and weighing and measuring your food. It is recommended that you align yourself with other followers for...
Secrets of Lykke
The Secrets of Lykke Lykka (pronounced LOOKA) is the Danish word for happiness. Some studies show Denmark as the “happiest country in the world” so how do they define happiness and how do they achieve it? And, finally, what can the rest of us do to achieve Lykke? Meik...
I Am My Father’s Daughter
by Lori Levy Blessings From My Father There is a phrase in Judaism often used when speaking of a deceased loved one, “Zikhronoh livracha,” which translates to, “may his memory be for a blessing.” It is a saying that can bring comfort to those who are grieving and...
Winter Storm Uri – One for the Record Books!
By Verlie McAlister Edwards & Leanne Kinsey Ivey Editor’s Note: These are the combined observations of Verlie Edwards and Leanne Ivey. Thurs, Feb 11 - High 28/Low 23 Leanne: The weather predicted freezing temperatures and snow for the weekend. I dashed out to the...
My Firsthand Experience with the 2021 Polar Vortex
by Joshua Levy We want to provide our children with the necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. So, what happens when one or more of those needs is threatened by a traumatic event such as a weather catastrophe? Beginning on Thursday February 11, 2021 such a...
Broadway During the Pandemic
By Kathy Strain I have been lucky to wear many hats during my lifetime that have fulfilled me and brought me joy. But the hat of serving as a contributing editor for an international website called Broadway World (https://www.broadwayworld.com/author/Kathy-Strain) has...
Sisters by Choice: Sister Chiefs
By Rochelle Dornatt “Sisters are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.” “Not sisters by blood, but sisters by heart.” Life on Capitol Hill was Rochelle Dornatt’s life. She loved (mostly) every minute of the almost three...
Uncle Lutz
by Ruth Anne Wood My friend Lutz (82) strung up and tuned my new violin the day it arrived in mid December 2020. He started playing violin as a boy in Germany and smuggled it out of his birthplace. He still plays in an orchestra, folk song society and Gilbert &...
More Than I Can Handle
by Staci Bell It has been said many times, to many hurting people, from many well-meaning people, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” It has even been quoted as Scripture. It’s not in the Bible. Not even close. When I think about my dad walking home from...
Pen Pals for Life
By Betsy Ruffin They met through an ad and had a long-distance relationship for over 60 years before finally meeting. No, it is not a romance story. It is a friendship story and involves my mother and me. In 1934, my mother, Lona, then 12-years-old, noticed an ad for...
Family History Uncovers Holocaust Ties-Part 2
by Mark Lehman We Have a Tree in Israel – the Journey of Miriam and Davida ‘The fruits of the olive tree only gives its oil when pressed, and the Children of Israel are only brought back to the right path by travails.’ Talmud Offerings 23 In the waning days of World...
Family History Uncovers Holocaust Ties
by Mark Lehman Writers note: In November the world remembers the anniversary of Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass. By many historians this was considered the first public demonstration of Adolph Hitler’s plan to annihilate the Jewish population in Europe....
From Parenthood to Grandparenthood: When A New Leaf Blossoms On Your Family Tree
By Edie Weinstein As I am writing this piece, I just returned home from a baby Tylenol run for my now 7-month-old grandson Dean. He is just beginning to cut teeth and he is quite vocal about letting my son and daughter-in-law know that he is not pleased with the new...
What Is Your Legacy?
By Edie Weinstein My friend Lisa Gidholm issued this invitation yesterday and it was one I couldn’t decline since death has been on my mind a great deal lately. “I am looking for a Volunteer....
Altruism and The Common Good
By Edie Weinstein You’re standing in a supermarket checkout line with a basket full of groceries and you notice the person behind you attempting to juggle five or six items while calming a crying toddler who is way past nap time....
Cognitive Dissonance in Chaotic Times
by Edie Weinstein World events are unfolding at a breakneck pace, rendering even the most psychologically stable people on the verge of emotional dysfunction. Each day upon awakening, the news feed is filled with stories of death and destruction. While it’s true that...
Did Someone Say New Normal?
by Edie Weinstein Among the terminology added to the vernacular in the past few months in the face of COVID-19, along with ‘flattening the curve,’ ‘social distancing,’ and ‘essential businesses,’ is ‘new normal’. The first time I heard that phrase was when I was in...