The thief left it behind:the moonat my window. This is a haiku from the poet, Ryokan. Ryokan lived in the late 18th century in Japan. He was a Zen Master and a hermit. There’s a story behind this lovely little poem.   One evening Ryokan comes home to find a thief in his humble hovel […]

When I was in 6th grade, I remember waking up each morning before school with a knot in my stomach. Back then, I didn’t know what I was feeling— I just knew if felt awful.  Today, I would describe that feeling as anxiety. The way I define anxiety is as a generalized feeling of fear, worry, nervousness or […]

When is the last time you reflected upon your childhood? Take a minute now and try to drift back to a time when you were young.  Do you remember blowing out your birthday candles and believing that your wish would actually come true? Or do you recall feeling courageous in your favorite superhero cape and […]

Teens are wonderful but they can be so elusive at times.  Oftentimes we don’t know if we should be worried or if we are simply witnessing typical teenage behavior.  If you have a hunch that your teen might be more than just moody, this post is for you.  Three behaviors often displayed by teens who […]

Yesterday I had the rare privilege of watching over eleven hundred young Americans take the Oath of Office at Induction Day at the United States Naval Academy. The new midshipmen pledge to “well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which (they) are about to enter.” One of these plebes was my daughter, […]