Many people like to criticize the current generation of teens and young adults for being lazy and too self-involved. It’s certainly a popular opinion that all they do is stare at their screens and are only concerned with the proper angle for taking selfies (it’s just a bit higher than your face, in case you’re wondering). But I think it’s actually the youth that are the ones who are opening the eyes of the older generations to some critically important issues facing our world today. Thanks to ... View the Post
The Summer Before College Drop-Off: 10 Things NOT to Do
Graduation came, graduation went. Now what? If you’re like me you may find yourself wandering around aimlessly, wondering how the heck that date on the calendar that’s been coming at you in warp speed since September actually, finally got here. For the past few months you’ve had such purpose! Such drive! And whether you checked the 157 tasks off your graduation to-do list efficiently or did it all at the last minute (and ignored like 154 of them), you might find yourself at a bit of a loss ... View the Post
College Shopping List: 20 Dos And Don’ts That Will Make You Smile
Yesterday I checked another big life event off the list. Something that you hear about other people doing but don’t really think about doing yourself until you are in the middle of it. Botox? Colonoscopy? No, I crossed off all the items on my daughter's college shopping list. You know, the anticipated trip to Bed Bath & Beyond and Target to get all the cute dorm room things that will never actually fit in her new room and/or things that will never be seen under all the piles ... View the Post
My Youngest is Leaving Home and My Dreams Are Telling Me To Let Go
One of the many recurring dreams I have is one where I’m in a runaway car barreling down a twisty mountain road, my speed gaining with each turn, and I can’t get the brakes to work. I step on the pedal with such force that it pushes me up off the driver’s seat so my leg is fully extended, rigid with tension. But no matter how hard I push, the car flies down the mountain, swiping the edges of the drop offs with each terrifying curve. More than once I’ve woken up to find my right foot pressed ... View the Post
Dear Parent Sending Your Firstborn Off To College
Dear Parent Sending Your Firstborn Off To College, I recognize you. I see you lying awake long after everyone else in your house is asleep because that’s when the panic grips you the tightest. I hear the speeches you give yourself that contain phrases like, “it seems like just yesterday,” “how is this possible?” and “nope, never gonna happen.” When Your Firstborn Goes to College I see the secret calendar you are keeping that has all the possible dates throughout the year penciled ... View the Post
Six Alternatives to the Over-the-Top Expensive Graduation Party
If you aren't up for an outrageous graduation party, we have some low key alternatives. (Arina P Habich/Shutterstock) I’m trying to remember how we marked the occasion of my high school graduation, and I can’t. Maybe it’s because there wasn’t a big, overblown celebration, but more realistically it’s because it was over 30 years ago. Either way, I’m drawing a blank. One thing I do know for sure is that it wasn’t until I moved to the Midwest in the mid-90s that I even became aware of The ... View the Post