Stories for Dads and Moms who Need a Laugh

It hasn't been the best of months for my family. In just a few weeks, we have said goodbye to two members of our clan. On of these relatives was an older person, the other wasn't so old, and that made it harder to say goodbye. "C" was young and healthy. It was a shock when we learned they were diagnosed with cancer. It was a difficult journey for her and her immediate family. My own family did all we could to for them and their family. The doctors did all they could do, but, unfortunately, it wasn't enough. We all gathered to say goodbye to them. It was comforting to see the long line of people who waited to say goodbye to them and offer condolences. I was amazed at the number of people who had been touched by "C" during their short life. It obviously wasn't easy for their family. "C" had passed close to Easter. There is never a good time to say good bye to a loved one, but doing it close to a holiday makes it especially difficult. Life goe...

Mother's Day is less than a month away. Some families have gifts or a nice, relaxing morning planned. Some have those gifts already bought, some have yet to buy them, and some aren't even sure what to buy Mom. Of course the gift is usually accompanied with a card and flowers, but what if flowers were the gift? What if instead of a standard bouquet of flowers, Mom got something that could not only last longer than a bouquet of flowers? Imagine surprising Mom with something that could last an entire growing season! photo: gardenmediagroup.com   The Garden Media Group , located in Pennsylvania's Chester County, is helping people figure out the perfect gift for Mom this year. It's never easy figuring out the right gift, but as GMG President Katie Dubow says, "I know the best gifts aren't things - they're experiences." Katie is hoping this year, families will spend more time outside together and less time with screens. "Hands-on activities help kids c...

It was the winter of 1990-1991. I was in the eight grade, waiting for the weather to warm up so the baseball season could start. While the winter was taking its sweet time to move out of the way, my attention span was doing all it could to focus on the mundane algebraic, scientific, and Spanish facts I needed to learn and remember for yet another useless quiz or test. There was something else I needed to study for. I had been signed up to take the high school entrance exam. There were three, maybe four schools that I would be applying to. One of them, Bishop Fenwick in Peabody, MA, accepted me and became my home away from home months after receiving a letter congratulating me on my acceptance. Waiting Patiently (or Anxiously) This week, it was my daughter's turn to wait for an acceptance from a school. The Oppressed had applied to one of the regional vocational schools with hopes of studying Nursing or Natural and Life Sciences. This was just one of the many sources of anxiety on h...

Peer pressure is something we all know about. We, as mommies and daddies, dealt with it when we were kids in school. Sometimes, unfortunately, we have to deal with it as grown-ups. People may not realize it, but sometimes they can be the ones using peer pressure on others. Children are taught to deal with peer pressure in school. When I was in elementary school, peer pressure was usually associated with underage drinking or smoking. It can go a lot farther than that, though. When kids are growing up, they try to make friends. That can be easier for some than for others. Children who have a hard time making friends might think there is something wrong with them. Maybe it's the way they look. The way they dress. They might feel like they're not good enough to make friends, and more people might like them if they changed. Sometimes change can be a good thing. If someone tries to be a better person, that is change and it's a good thing because they are trying to be a better fri...

"Ahab's Parables" Growing up, we learn about navigating our way through life. There are some times when we have help along the way, and there are some times when we must brave it on our own. There are lessons to be learned as we grow up. These lessons may not be easy ones, but they make life easier as we get older. Learning can take place in different ways and in different places. The most obvious place where children learn is in school. Here, they learn academic skills. Children learn to read, write, math skills. As they progress, they learn geography and foreign languages. They're also going to learn social skills. These skills will be learned in the schoolyard at recess or in the classroom during different scenarios. The Advantages of Reading Reading let's you spend time together. Reading to your child helps them learn to read. Reading can teach lessons that can be applied to everyday life. Children read in school. Some will love it, and some will find it to be...