If you’re among the 40–50 million U.S. households who are feline friendly, I think it’s important you hear about the latest news. According to research, science says our house cats would kill us if they could! After all, they have the innate predatory instinct of their relative and apex predator, the lion. I guess this means …

The first, and only, Writer’s Workshop I ever attended was in Dayton, Ohio. It’s held every other year in honor of the late humor columnist Erma Bombeck, and offers comedic camaraderie for writers who enjoy crafting poignant prose. Day one kicked off with a class called Essays Gone Wild. Never mind that my long-haul travel …

Dear Doctor, I’ve been thinking about you even though you might not remember who I am. I can only imagine how many pets, and the people who love them, are entrusted to your care. Maybe you remember a certain corgi coming to your office? Maybe you don’t. They all look the same. But, not really, …

I’m proud to work in the older adult industry. Watching people’s reactions to this is quite entertaining. Most assume it means working in the adult industry—and that’s something entirely different! In truth, my job entails working with older adults who are moving into assisted living communities. My clients are of a certain age, so today’s …

Years ago, when I was still living in my childhood home, my dad tried to teach me how to tie a slipknot. Never mind the fact I had no desire to learn any such skill, so try as I might, I couldn’t get the hang of it. In truth, my inability was really the perfect …

I live in an area where old barns stand among the backdrop. While this implies a countrified community, this same area is also surrounded by cities, strip malls, and freeways all bursting at the seams! I suppose the certainty of suburban sprawl best explains why I’m drawn to the beauty of old barns. They seem …

She sits across from me, pencil in one hand, iPhone in the other. Hope is in the air, and Google Translate tells me she’s nervous but happy to be here. I offer a prayer of thanks to the amazing Google Translate, which converts her native Spanish into my native English.  We sit at my kitchen …

Dear Professor Smith, While scrolling the internet, I stumbled upon the syllabus from a class you taught at Stanford Continuing Studies…I Laughed So Hard, I Cried: Writing Comedy and Tragedy. I practically fell off my chair with excitement looking for the ‘enroll’ button, only to notice ‘2023’ printed at the bottom of the page. Since …

Her name was Melinda. She was the worst player on my childhood softball team and the only kid in class who didn’t have to take the weekly spelling test. Melinda was special. That’s what people like her were called back then. The kind that can’t keep up with the other kids, whether on the sports …