According to my holiday app, today is “World Compliment Day.” As I was running errands, I picked up my mail to find the March/April issue of Psychology Today in my box. Among the many articles and features is “The Power of a Kind Word: Giving an unsolicited compliment is more rewarding than you might think.” Perfect Timing! The article was …
For as long as I can remember, the Heifer Project, based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Started by a member of the Church of the Brethren back in the 1940s, Heifer uses innovative marketing and cutting edge nonprofit fundraising strategies to help the poor of the world feed themselves and earn a more sustainable living. The organization is built on the …
I’ve known Tina Doody for more years than I will admit. I first came to know her when I worked at The Century Foundation (it was so long ago, it was then called the Twentieth Century Fund!). Tina was an ambitious new graduate from Rutgers University. She was on a team tasked with getting us into the 21st century on …
I’ve long known the healing properties of animal companions. But life in New York City is tricky and a lot of places aren’t welcoming to pets. Fast forward to a few months ago and a mouse problem convinced me it was time to get a cat. I started looking in all the usual ways, namely the ASPCA-type shelters. However, beyond …
When I conceived of this section of my new website, I felt it was important to feature the good works of “celebrities,” for lack of a better word, but also to write about the experiences, both triumphant and challenging, of people with whom I have a relationship. And, so…drumroll, please, I introduce you to my friend Nora Pierson. She’s a …
I’ve been having a challenging time sorting out my soup of emotions experienced during this pandemic. Sitting squarely in America’s epicenter, New York City, the empty streets in my FiDi neighborhood are punctuated by the ambulances racing towards New York Presbyterian hospital’s “Trinity” outpost. My news-addiction, stoked by the earlier impeachment proceedings, is full blown as MSNBC plays day and …
These are difficult days, with the Covid-19 pandemic in bloom, but I wanted to share one personal anecdote about staying close in the time of this virus. A friend of mine is in a “vulnerable demographic” here in New York—older and with a pre-existing pulmonary condition. He made the hard decision to cease seeing his son and his family (including …
One thing that I appreciate about certain traditions, like those of the Native American Indians, is how they look to the ancestors for strength and guidance during life’s difficult circumstances. As they say, we all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. I’ve been drawn to this idea as we face the historic Covid-19 pandemic. I was …
Although I’ve never considered myself a New Yorker, I must admit that this Coronavirus outbreak has made me re-think my status. In a time like no other, my physical well-being is inextricably tied to the millions of people with whom I share the island of Manhattan. Although I’ve lived through a couple of major adisruptions—the attacks of September 11 and the …
I’ve been a City gal for a long time, but I live by the expression, “You can take the girl out of Oklahoma, but you can’t take the Oklahoma out of the girl.” In my most optimistic orientation, I’d like to think I combine the generosity of spirit of folks from the Sooner State with the worldly approach of New …