ArcaMax

Memorial Day is the day set aside each year to remember those who gave all in service to this country. For many of us, it's a three-day weekend that also marks the end of the school year. We remember fallen soldiers, yes. But we also kick off the summer.

According to WalletHub.com, 44% of Americans will barbecue this weekend and Americans will ...Read more

Martha Stewart is on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 81 years old, and whether you love it or hate it, everyone is talking about it. Bathing suit shopping is easily one of the top-10 activities women loathe. In a bathing suit, there's nowhere to hide. We must confront every physical insecurity and walk into a dressing room holding a lifetime ...Read more

My Dad married my stepmother when I was 8 years old. My mom had died in a car accident a year prior. After my dad remarried, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to love my stepmom. I did love her, don't get me wrong, but I was riddled with guilt over it. My stepmom saw things in me others had not. She signed me up for piano lessons and bought me my ...Read more

Yes, I'm struggling. No, I don't want help. Wait, what? It made no sense to my husband either. He knows that my joints hurt and that I struggle with fatigue. It's all part of my autoimmune disease, psoriatic arthritis. May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Arthritis Awareness month. Both of these intersect within me. Let me explain.

I ...Read more

In the past year my family has had COVID-19, the flu, strep throat, ear infections and many colds. This was even after we had our recommended flu and COVID-19 vaccines. When I mentioned this fact, my doctor kindly reminded me that my flu vaccine was why I was sitting in her office and not at the hospital. Our vaccines helped see us through ...Read more

My son placed seeds in the dirt one at a time while encouraging each of them to "grow, grow, grow!" Then, we went to a paint-and-bake pottery place. My son chose a small cactus and a miniature Eiffel Tower to paint. "To put in the garden," he told me.

My garden is filled with memories. There are painted ceramics my adult daughters made in their...Read more

In order to develop solutions to mass shootings in this country, we must first establish a foundation of fact that everyone can agree on. Yes, I'm talking about the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

A question I often get in response to my columns about mass shootings goes something like this:

What law, if it had been ...Read more

Spring storm season is here, and storms are definitely wreaking havoc. Last month my son's school was canceled due to severe weather. Though I'm accustomed to snow days, it was the first time I've ever experienced a "storm day." Storms are not only worrisome because of the damage they cause, but also because many city sewer systems are not ...Read more

"We're not going to fix it," Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said following the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville that killed six people, including three children. "Criminals will be criminals," he said.

He may as well have said, "Meh."

A student was shot at my daughter's high school when she was a freshman. It took place between ...Read more

I waited 14 weeks on the library waiting list to listen to the audiobook version of Matthew Perry's much-anticipated memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing." The first thing I loved about the book was learning that Chandler Bing and Perry have a lot of personality similarities. Chandler Bing has always been my favorite "Friend." ...Read more

I spent a day in family court earlier this month to observe and learn about what families and children in crisis face in my community. I watched as an eldest sister accepted custody of her six younger siblings, a foster family moved forward with adoption proceedings and one father got custody of his infant following the tragic death of the baby'...Read more

I am by no means a perfect parent, but I have three kids ages 27, 22 and 7 years old. I swear the youngest gives me side-eye that says, "Get it right this time." I've made a lot of mistakes and I'm sure I'll make many more. But I've also learned a lot along the way, and some things I know for sure.

No. 1: Pants Will Get Wet and Shoes Will Get ...Read more

Last week marked 40 years since my mom died. Grief works in curious ways and comes in waves long after a loved one has passed. It shows up in unexpected ways. This year, for me, it showed up in my son's face.

My son is seven years old, the same age I was when my mother died. It's common for people to struggle when they reach the same age their ...Read more