...My brother and I had our babies two months apart...it was his first, and my third...My family has clearly shown more favoritism for his daughter -- more cooing, coddling, holding - than for mine.
More >>

What should you do when the grandparents seem to favor one sibling's baby over the other sibling's baby? More >>

When I was growing up, my parents went to work, watched TV, and slept. If we interfered with any of that they'd yell. So my grandmother raised me. More >>

My 86-year-old dad passed away 5 years ago. My mom lived almost 100 miles from me and she said she didn't want me to have to come visit her every weekend so she would just move in with me. I loved the idea because I thought I would be able to take care of her. More >>

I really didn't give it much thought but always knew I needed to be home and my family would always come first...When I got back from Vietnam, I was married and just started in my career as an air conditioning and heating service technician. More >>

The following letter was written by his grandson, who is currently a student at Oxford University, and couldn't be at the service, but wanted all to know the impact of his grandpa... More >>

Grandpa only gets 30 minutes for lunch, so after my grandson has lunch with Mommy (my daughter), he and I take a ride to where Grandpa works and he shares a little of Grandpa's lunch. More >>

My parents have been married 57 years. I see them now and could only hope that I have a relationship like theirs when I am in my 70s and 80s. However, growing up their relationship was nothing like it is now. More >>

I just heard the call from the "50" year old newlywed whose "40" year old wife desperately wanted children. I was in a similar predicament 10 years ago, when at 35 I married my husband, 11 years my senior. More >>

My birthday was a little over a week ago, and my husband actually got away with setting up a surprise party for me.' I went to the party location under the guise that we were going to use a 'Happy Birthday' coupon for a free dinner.' It was wonderful to see the many people who have meant, do mean, and always will mean something important to me (and the cake and dancing were great too)!I want to mention one particular gift:' a bocce ball set.' I sent out all my gift 'thank yous,' and when it came to the bocce ball set, I said something like ''Thank you so much for the bocce ball set.' I don't know how to play it, but, heck, learning yet another sport is a great idea!' Ha ha ha!'I added the 'ha ha ha' because I hike, I play tennis and badminton, I shoot pool, do yoga, race a sailboat and work out...and do at least one of these daily .' But then I thought about my 'joke' and realized it IS a very good idea to learn yet another 'whatever' all the time.' Part of the joy of being alive (and a large part of what keeps your brain and body healthy and your mood positive) is having purpose in your life and learning something new all the time.People who don't continue to grow, be challenged, learn and be involved in activities tend to 'contract,' have depression problems, and compromise the quality of their aging and actual life span.So, while this blog is not an ad for bocce ball, it is a suggestion (and don't forget who's making it!) for you to constantly challenge yourself with everything from crossword puzzles to chasing butterflies.' The more you are invested in the opportunities of living, the more you will enjoy it and be alert and happy. More >>