Tag Archive for: happiness

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38 Years Later…What’s the Marriage Secret?

Today my wife, JoAnn, and I are celebrating the thirty-eighth anniversary of our marriage. I’m not bragging… frankly, I’m amazed. Everyone asks, “What’s the secret?”  I'll attempt to explain in a moment. Now that we have grown…

3 Tips For Teaching Generosity at The Holidays

For many children, this time of year is about getting gifts far more than giving them. This is completely understandable, as these holidays are for many parents an opportunity to show children that we love them and we want them to be happy.…

Fighting the “War on Christmas”

People have asked me how to address intercultural diversity and Christmas-related issues with their children. I’ll start with the message of goodwill toward others and work back from there. I’m Jewish, but this December I will be happy…

The Problem with Perfection

They say "nobody's perfect," and they're right. Perfection is a myth. Really. The problem is, that if we look at Instagram, Facebook, or other social media postings, it might appear that a lot of people have really perfect lives. What…

How Sports Teach Us

This is a great time of year for sports. We’ve just seen a great French Open, Stanley Cup Final, and NBA Final. Whether you’re an athlete or not, sports offer real opportunities to teach values, focus, and tenacity.  As parents, even…

The Power of Appreciation

I’ve lived long enough to see many of my divorced friends find new mates. It’s quite a relief actually – not because I think everybody needs to be a couple, but because their divorces have left scars that I’m happy to see healing. In…

The High Cost of Bad Parenting

I believe that most parents are good parents.  It’s my observation that a majority of our citizens are well-behaved, respectful, and law-abiding.  But I also see a society that devotes an immense amount of energy and resources to deal with…

A Legacy Of Love

My Grandfather, Nathan, was an incredibly shy man.  In addition to being very short (5’4”), he was a quiet and kind immigrant who listened far more than he spoke. He came from Russia to pursue a better life, and made his living as a bicycle-riding…

Are You a Free Range Parent ?

I never thought I’d use a new-age term for happy chickens to address a parenting-related issue, but I suppose over-cautious parents are as oppressive to children as cages are to chickens. The organization known as Free Range Kids is “fighting…

Kanye’s Silver Lining

Yep, we almost saw it again, Kanye West deciding that his musical opinion trumps all others – and that he is the true arbiter of all musical “art.”  Part of the good news is that we didn't see it – at least we didn’t see the rude…