I’m feeling anxious about Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday, but for some reason the always-simmering but (usually) contained political hostilities within my family have flared up, and this can make family gatherings mighty uncomfortable. I don’t know exactly what has triggered the rage that’s spilling out all over my loved ones' Facebook pages this week. I don't really … [Read more...]

During a solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and temporarily blocks our view of the Sun. The Sun is furiously pumping away, emanating warmth and symbolizing spiritual and creative power to beat the band. Then along comes the Moon, who instead of reflecting the Sun’s light back to Earth, jealously hoards it all for herself.  At the solar eclipse, … [Read more...]

I pick up the phone to hear my sister's voice in mid-reminiscence: "Hey, you know what I remembered today?" "What?" "Remember when we used to go to pick mom up from work, and we'd be sitting in the car waiting…and finally she'd come out, and as she was walking towards us, one of us would say, 'That's my mom!' And the other one would say, 'Hey - that's my mom too!' And then … [Read more...]

Because genetics and fate seem to share a wry sense of humor, I often find myself at uncomfortable family gatherings where I'm one of only a few liberals in a crowd of very outspoken conservatives. It's ironic, given these are exactly the sorts of situations I’ve spent my life avoiding. I’ve got strong convictions, but I was also raised to be polite and to avoid confrontation. … [Read more...]