Do You Live a Charmed Life?   Mental health, like dandruff, crops up when you least expect it. -Robin Worthington From The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, M.D.: We know very well why people become mentally ill. What we don't understand is why people survive the traumas of their lives as well as they do... All we can say is that there is a force, the mechanics of which... [read more]

Do You Live a Charmed Life?   Mental health, like dandruff, crops up when you least expect it. -Robin Worthington From The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, M.D.: We know very well why people become mentally ill. What we don't understand is why people survive the traumas of their lives as well as they do... All we can say is that there is a force, the mechanics of which... [read more]

Do You Live a Charmed Life?   Mental health, like dandruff, crops up when you least expect it. -Robin Worthington From The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, M.D.: We know very well why people become mentally ill. What we don't understand is why people survive the traumas of their lives as well as they do... All we can say is that there is a force, the mechanics of which... [read more]

Health risks of smoking by Amy Scholten. MPH Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, killing 400,000 people a year. Smokers and people who live with smokers are at risk for a number of health conditions and diseases. A nonsmoker in a very smoky room for one hour inhales the same dangerous contaminants as he or she would by smoking 10 or more cigarettes... [read more]

Assess your smoking habit by Amy Scholten, MPH Smoking is not only a physical addiction but a psychological addiction (used as a coping mechanism) and habit (reinforcement through repetition). Many people who have successfully quit smoking say that they found it helpful to understand their individual smoking habit. They learned about why and when they smoked before developing strategies for coping... [read more]

Tips for Keeping Tiny Teeth Healthy by Mary Calvagna According to the American Dental Association (ADA), it is never too early to establish good oral hygiene habits. This will ensure healthy teeth and gums for your child. Here are some tips for parents from the ADA: Clean Gums for Clean Teeth After each feeding, wipe your baby's gums with a clean gauze pad. At birth, your baby already... [read more]

Limiting Your Intake of Sugar by Karen Schroeder, MS, RD Here's Why: Since there is such a focus on eating a low-fat diet, people often think that any food that is low in fat is inherently healthy. This is not the case. For example, soda and hard candy have no fat, but they also have no vitamins, minerals, fiber, or other health-promoting ingredients. What they do have is sugar, and lots... [read more]

The Power of Our Blessings Good friends are good for your health. -Irwin Sarason From "My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging," by Rachel Naomi Remen: We bless the life around us far more than we realize. Many simple, ordinary things that we do can affect those around us in profound ways: the unexpected phone call, the brief touch, the... [read more]

The Importance of Self-Evaluations   A fascinating study tracked 7000 young people over a 25 year period to examine their success during the middle of their careers. The researchers found that young people who exhibited positive core self-evaluations earned significantly more than their lower self esteem counterparts. Family socioeconomic status and academic achievement were also positively correlated... [read more]

The 9 Types of Bosses You'll Encounter in Life   If you've ever held a job, you know that bosses come in all shapes and sizes. Here's a look at the most common offenders and how to deal with them. Boss #1 The Energizer Bunny This unstoppable trooper keeps going and going and going, working late every night and getting in early the next day. Known to send work-related emails on weekends at 3 a.m.... [read more]

Lessons of a Bad Girl Beloved author Liz Curtis Higgs explains how the Bible's 'bad girls' helped her recover from her own bad girl past. Interview by Patton Dodd   Don't let her gentle smile and easy laugh fool you: Liz Curtis Higgs is a bad girl. As fans of her "Bad Girls of the Bible" books know, Higgs is in touch with her dark side, and she's scoured the pages of the Bible to learn... [read more]

"Health Concerns" In Japan, the fat intake in the average Japanese diet is very low and the heart disease ratio is lower than in North America and the UK. However, in France, the average fat intake is very high, and yet, the heart disease ratio is lower than in North America and the UK. In India almost no one drinks red wine and the heart disease ratio is lower than in North America and the UK.... [read more]

  Who Reads What Newspapers?   1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.   2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.   3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country.   4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don't really understand the Washington Post. They do, however,... [read more]

'Mommy, I See an Angel' With their innocence and playfulness, children are more likely to experience a magical connection with angels. Mimi Doe   When my daughter Whitney was four years old, she began telling me about Sophine, an angel who visited her. At that time, I had no idea just where this angel would take us. 'Mama, Sophine came to my room last night.' 'Who is Sophine?' I... [read more]

My Son's Two 'Jimmys' Who were the two young, blond-haired men my son believed he saw? By Patricia Gaddis   It was Sunday morning and I was awakened by the cries of my three-year-old. Fear seized my heart as I jumped out of bed, knowing that my toddler had managed to rise before me, as so many young ones do. I hurried to the bathroom where my son, Shawn,... [read more]

New Antiviral Drugs Help Foil the Flu by Elizabeth Smoots, MD Vaccination is still the best way we have of staving off influenza. Several new antiviral drugs on the market can also prevent the disease or help bring it under control. With winter flu season approaching, I think these medications merit some consideration. The new drugs are not a substitute for getting a flu shot. But the Food... [read more]

Living Fully Through Forgiveness   Forgiveness is the greatest healer of all. -Gerald Jampolsky & Diane V. Cirincione From "Loving Each Other" by Leo Buscalglia: Of course, forgiving is not an easy process. Our rational mind is not sufficient to instantaneously break through the intricate web of feelings which overcome us when we are wronged. It seems more simple... [read more]

Love Notes A young child's afterschool art project turns into a celebration of love for the whole family. By Mary Ann Swenson It's been over eleven years now. It was a wintry afternoon, the snow swirling around the cedar trees outside, forcing little icicles to form at the tips of the deep green foliage clinging to the branches. My older son, Stephen, was at school,... [read more]

The Power of Mystery   Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. -Rachel Carson From "My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging" by Rachel Naomi Remen: We have not been raised to cultivate a sense of Mystery. We may even see the unknown as an insult to our competence, a personal failing... [read more]

A Good Investment Worried that you're not getting rich? There's another kind of capital that pays lifelong dividends. By Bob Perks I felt lost. I could tell by the way the conversation was going I didn't belong there. It was out of my league, I thought. They were talking about the stock market. So many ordinary people in the past few years became millionaires because... [read more]

The Long Road Home As I arrive home from college for the first time, I realize many things have changed?in my family and in myself. By Lia Gay   I find myself packing again.  Well, let's be completely honest, this isn't really packing—it's shoving three weeks' worth of dirty clothes into a suitcase and having my roommate sit on it so I can get it to close.   This time is different;... [read more]

To Be There for My Kids Jewelry magnate Cookie Lee vowed not to let work come before her children. Here's how she's kept that promise. By Cookie Lee   My mother and father emigrated from China to America in 1948.  My brother and I were born soon after, making us both the first American-born members of our family.  Upon coming to America, our parents worked extremely hard to make... [read more]

Good to Be Home With three little boys, my life is full of mishaps, spillage, and clutter. But at the end of the day, it's worth it. By Jackie Fleming   Years ago when my three boys were just wee ones, my old high-school friend, Marge, invited me to lunch at her home in a nearby upscale subdivision.  She was a teacher, had never married and had recently purchased a condominium. The... [read more]

Making Memories Some may think spending the day with a child is doing 'nothing much.' Here's why it's the most important thing in the world. By Tonna Canfield   Reprinted with permission from Chicken Soup for the Soul. After eating breakfast, my little girl says, "Mommy, will you watch this show with me?" I look at the breakfast dishes in the sink and then at her big brown eyes. "Okay,"... [read more]

'I Will Always Love You'   A school principal finds that little children can be incredibly caring. By Suzanne Perry, Ph.D.   Like most elementary schools, it was typical to have a parade of students in and out of the health clinic throughout the day. We dispensed ice for bumps and bruises, Band-Aids for cuts, and liberal doses of sympathy and hugs. As principal, my office was right next... [read more]

Flowers for a Newborn Child   A gift from a special woman creates a 'summer garden' in my daughter's bedroom. By Claire Beynon   Reprinted with permission from Chicken Soup for the Soul. It was a cold, drizzly day. Mist nudged up against the windows and doors of the house. I was adding more wood to the fire when I heard a knock at the front door. Judy was standing on the doorstep,... [read more]