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...