I was 11 years old when my parents brought my younger brother and me to Manhattan to see the musical Annie. Even though we lived in Queens, trips to the “city” were a big deal. Broadway tickets cost much less than today, but still expensive for a famil… Continue reading
Everyone of a certain age remembers Sally Struthers’ Save the Children TV commercials, encouraging viewers to improve the life of an impoverished child in a developing nation by sponsoring him or her for the price of a cup of coffee a day. Many organiz… Continue reading
By the time I crawled into bed after seeing my first rock concert, it was nearly three in the morning, yet I found the energy to scribble in my beloved red diary. “FANTASTIC!!!!!!” I wrote in my loopy adolescent script. It stretched across an entire li… Continue reading
New York City winters are sometimes so unseasonably warm that one holiday week, tree sellers wore shorts while hot chocolate vendors lost their shirts. As I browsed the balsam and cedar potpourri then, absentmindedly humming along to “Jingle Bells,” I … Continue reading
The noise of the blow dryer caused Deborah Aquilino, known as Deb, to raise her voice as she spoke in the New Jersey hair salon where she works. Her five-foot nothing frame was barely noticeable over her generous personality as she told me the story th… Continue reading
I opened my email back in September from the Joyce Theater, Manhattan’s popular dance performance venue. The subject line read: “Special Volunteer Opportunity with Twyla Tharp Dance!” Whoa! I thought. I love the Joyce! I love dance! I love Twyla! I cou… Continue reading
Research shows that keeping gratitude journals has many benefits, including sounder sleep and more optimism.
The post Be Grateful and Be Happier appeared first on Next Avenue.
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In 2010, after a 29-year career as an editor and technical director at ABC News in Washington, D.C., Mike Kravinsky, 65, took a buyout offer and began making preparations for his second act. “At that point, I did exactly what you aren’t supposed to do … Continue reading
As someone with four nephews and a niece but no children of my own, I’ve learned when to say uncle. From my spot on the sidelines of parenting, I’ve been able to opt in on their lives on a regular basis. I’ve changed their diapers, taken them Trick-Or-… Continue reading
In her new book, This Side Up: The Road to a Renovated Life, author Amy Mangan shares her experiences with job loss, financial shame, home displacement, illness and caregiving. This is an excerpt. When I got married, it was a last-minute decision after… Continue reading