When I was a kid, my mom would drop us off at school and say, “You are going to have a good day.” She’d say it in an accent completely unlike herself – and today, I still wake up thinking of that mantra. Sometimes the difference between a good day and a bad day is just in how we perceive it, isn’t

For 10 years, I was in an abusive relationship. I was not physically abused, but I experienced relentless emotional abuse. Because of this, I understand all too well the painful effects of domestic violence and there is rarely a happy ending. Blessedly, I am an exception to the rule. When I met my

Becoming a mother is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It’s a wild ride, for sure, with lots of unexpected twists and turns, but despite the challenges of being a mom, I wouldn’t change a thing. These are just a few of the things I love about it: 1. Watching them grow. Watching

   (To my youngest daughter)  “Resilient.” That’s the first adjective that comes to mind when I want to describe you. When I told you, a few weeks ago, that you’re resilient, you weren’t sure what it meant, and when I explained, you remained indifferent. You were far more interested in “smart,”

  A hairy old hippie of a photojournalist from a rival newspaper once gave me a powerful piece of family planning advice. It was spring 2003, I was working as a reporter, and my wife had just given birth to our first child. After five days at home I returned to the newsroom where my assignment that