Relationships

Most of us are probably feeling the economic squeeze at this point. Gas prices and food costs are higher, interest rates and rents are rising and everything seems more expensive than it used to be. And there’s concrete data to support your suspicions. Inflation is now at its highest point…

One way to stay cool and happy during this hot weather is to be indoors (and hopefully in air conditioning) and watch movies. In fact, in England, there’s a movie chain offering free admission during the heatwave to redheaded patrons (who are said to be at more risk from the…

The Roman statesman Cicero once said, “Life is nothing without friendship.” For most of us, that statement rings true, even if we may not always live up to its promise. There are so many “involuntary” (yet important) relationships in our lives: our family, and our work colleagues, for example, and…

If you’re getting older then you’re likely getting experience in what it’s like to grieve. None of us escape the inevitable losses that accompany aging. Whether it’s the literal death of loved ones or friends, the emotional loss of chapters that have closed or friendships that have faded, or even…

The received wisdom is that the older we get, the happier we find ourselves. Known as the paradox of aging, there’s a “U” curve in the aging literature that seems to suggest that most people reach a low point of happiness in midlife but then begin to climb back up…

The Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” Yet in this day and age, kindness appears to be too often in short supply: we have divisive, brutish politics, brutal armies destroying innocent people, and cities and rural areas in…