Ten years ago today we lost my brother Jim. At forty-seven, he was in his prime. I lament the unfinished promise of his life, and all that it held for his two sons. I mourn for my sister’s children and my own, for all they lost in
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In the summer of 2018, my dad died. Twice. The first time, he was alone, slumped over the wheel of his truck. A swarm of good Samaritans revived him. One smashed through the glass of his passenger door. Several others hoisted him onto the sidewalk. A nursing
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Philip Yancey’s latest blog post shares his grief over the recent loss of his ninety-nine-year-old mother. He offers a “kind of mental dialogue” between himself and Nicholas Wolterstorff, a Christian philosopher, scholar, and author. In the early 1980s, Wolterstorff wrote Lament for a Son, a moving response
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What does breastfeeding have to do with postpartum mental health? Plenty. I explored the intersection of these topics recently on the All About Breastfeeding Podcast. Host Lori Isenstadt, a lactation consultant and breastfeeding expert, points out that breastfeeding mismanagement can pose unique hurdles for women with perinatal
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Once upon a time not long ago, I was a business writer for PayScale.com. I covered all things careers and employment in my first full-time, work-from-home gig. After several years as an editor in D.C., covering Congressional policy on energy and the environment, I relished the more-relaxed
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Today is my Uncle Dave’s birthday. He would be seventy-four. My mom’s younger brother died earlier this month, after battling complications from a single lung transplant. He takes with him a vast trove of memories and shared stories only he could retell, many of my mom. She
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Postpartum depression is gaining ground. For the first time, the U.S. government has approved a drug made specifically to treat it. The medication is administered through an intravenous drip for 60 hours. Patients will have to be admitted to a medical facility to receive it, and fork
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Last summer I lost my dad to heart disease. He was almost 83, and in declining health. He died twice. The first time, he was rescued by a band of courageous Good Samaritans. Their bravery afforded my family and me a chance to say goodbye, and to
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My mom passed away from complications of breast cancer 29 years ago. My brother died five years ago, after a battle with severe depression. Last month my dad’s heart failed while he was out for a drive. Though he was revived and brought to the hospital, he
Read more →I’ve had my dad for 44 years. Because my mom’s been gone for 29 of those years, that length of time has been important to me in unique ways. He’s not perfect. But he’s been present and available for my entire life. He’s had to be Dad
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