Coming to Light
Chanukah begins at sundown on December 1, the beginning of what I call the Feasts of Light, the observances and celebrations that carry us through the darkest time of the […]
The Dead Do Vote and Not Just in Chicago
As the United States prepares for midterm elections (a phrase that recalls midterm exams and evokes much of the same anxiety) some of us are also preparing for Hallowe’en, the […]
Fairytales: One Antidote to Bullying
“Life is no fairytale,” people say, meaning there is a dearth of happy endings. But that last traditional line “and then they lived happily ever after” is not what the […]
Genetically Modified Salmon: Can this Marriage be Saved?
On Friday my husband and I cooked wild caught salmon over a wood fire. We enjoyed it with garden vegetables and maybe a little too much wine. When the subject […]
Elemental: Why We Are All Pagan
“My family is Jewish,” he said. “My family is Protestant,” she said. “But we’re pagan,” he continued, “and we want our wedding to have some pagan element.” “Only we want […]
We the People: Are We in Charge?
Last night my husband Douglas Smyth, who writes about politics and economics, mentioned Paul Krugman’s op-ed piece in the New York Times “Defining Prosperity Down” Krugman expresses concern that “those […]
The Feast of Mary Magdalen: Celebrating Incarnation
On July 22nd, the height of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, fruits and vegetables ripening, sun baking or steaming, cool waters beckoning, warm nights full of stars and fireflies, when […]
Sacred Text(ing): Staying in Touch with Adult Children
When I became a mother, I’d heard plenty about the terrible twos and the anguish of adolescence. The phrase empty nest syndrome was also well-known to me. But nothing and […]
The Politics of Joy: God’s Equation
It’s Thursday night Chi Kung, and we are cultivating energy between our palms and then our own palms and a partner’s. Our teacher instructs us to remember a time when […]
When the Circus Folds: Couples Counseling Part Two
Last week I posted a piece called Three Ring Circus: The Thrill of Couples Counseling. Using the circus as a metaphor, I described my work as a couples’ counselor. In […]