by Rachel DeMille Beginning Again A favorite movie has a scene where one of the characters has lost his way, and, following the counsel of a trusted advisor, he goes "back to the beginning." It is there, he knows, that he will find his guide [...]
I’m on a hike. My pack is rubbing my shoulders sore. I’m hungry. The sun is beating down on my neck. I’ve been needing to duck behind a bush for almost 40 minutes. But I press on, enjoying the pure air, the light rush of [...]
It’s hard being little. I remember keenly wanting to fit in with all the older people around me. I was the youngest of six kids—and quite a bit younger, at that. The closest in age was four years older, and they went up from there [...]
Our 16yo daughter is, and always has been, a self-starter. She'll probably make us famous some day with her knowledge of the Classics. She knows Shakespeare really well, she currently teaches a mythology class for local students, and she reports to me from time to [...]
By Heather Hansen One night I had a dream. In my dream, I saw a figure skater with her fluid and graceful movements in an unusual costume that mirrored the quintessential 50’s housewife. She was performing her routine in an over-sized kitchen on a [...]
By Angela Baker Recently I was meeting with my children and outlining the structure of our summer schedule. My 12 year old daughter, our second child, was visibly disgruntled about something during our meeting. I met with her afterward and we had an enlightening heart-to-heart [...]
Rachel, I do have one little question, if you don't mind: which age of children do you spend the most time on/with (I know the balance thing—and I know what I do—but I want to hear from another mother with very special demands and a [...]
Q: A new friend asked me one day how he could be sure that his little kids would grow up to be scholars. His question got me thinking, and I crafted this response... A: We have four youth between the ages of 12 and [...]
Body sculpting, surgical/chemical alterations, therapy . . . our culture is obsessed with hiding, cutting out or otherwise purging its flaws. We want to be persons with no weaknesses. Even our college entrance exams, job interviews, courtships and business dealings all seem to hinge on [...]
Some time ago I read an article in the NY Times about a man who defrauded investors of billions of dollars. Not really news these days, I guess. Seems like there's a lot of creative bookkeeping going on out there. It's an inventive way to [...]
