One Cool Dad

My dad was cool. I didn’t see him that way when I was a kid. Once I became a parent myself, I came around to acknowledging he’d been a good parent. But it wasn’t until after he passed away that I glimpsed the cool guy he was

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Is Postpartum Depression Preventable?

The year is off to busy start in the postpartum-news world. Last week, the federal government approved the first-ever drug designed specifically to treat postpartum depression. Last month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released new guidelines for preventing perinatal depression. These recommendations are also being reported

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Dads and Motherless Daughters

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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Hitch Your Wagon to a Star

During a recent conversation with my kids, I encouraged them to reach for challenges, even for things that seem unattainable. I shared with them one of my favorite quotes, from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Hitch your wagon to a star.” Sometimes you won’t reach your star, I said,

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