Time to Take a Break!
I have written on several occasions about how taking time off from work benefits our mental health. So, in the spirit of “practice what you preach,” I will be on vacation for two weeks and will take a break from writing Five on Friday for the month of August. 1.
All Too Well
Fair warning: you do not want me on your Jeopardy team if one of the categories is pop culture. But when it comes to Taylor Swift, I just might surprise you. Like millions of Swifties around the globe, I was on my feet for the entire three hours of her
Mental Health in Ancient Egypt
I have spent the past week on a long-awaited trip exploring temples and tombs along the Nile. It has been a journey through time and place. From the pyramids to Karnak Temple, from kings and queens to pharaohs, gods, and goddesses, it has stretched my understanding of ancient history and
A Visit to the Emerald Isle
A long-awaited vacation in Ireland fills this week and next. It is the first time for me to visit the homeland of my maternal grandparents. And no better way to do so than in the company of siblings and partners! The history. The Guinness. The rolling hills. The harp. The
Chag Pesach Sameach! Happy Easter! Ramadan Kareem!
This weekend, and for the first time in over 30 years, Jews, Christians, and Muslims will be celebrating the holidays of Passover, Easter, and Ramadan on overlapping days. Whatever you might be celebrating this weekend, enjoy!
Just Kidding
Happy April Fools’ Day! Although the details behind the origins of April Fools’ Day remain a mystery, the experience of practical joking is nearly universal. My brother tells the story of a practical joke that has become legendary among his friends. It all began when a friend decided to go
Six Years Ago Today!
Exactly six years ago today, March 25, 2016, I launched Five on Friday. Inspired by a tradition I hold dear – Friday night dinners at home where conversations are animated and varied – I wanted to bring the topic of mental health to the table. According to Jewish tradition, as
To Love
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. It is a day devoted to love – that magical mix of emotion, psychology, physiology, and pixie dust. Poems. Songs. Biographies. Novels. Films… Love features prominently in every form of storytelling. Love resides at the core of human connection, healing, hope, and meaning.
Night Owls
We have all heard it. The early bird catches the worm. Early to bed, early to rise… So what is a night owl to do? I love staying up late. I always have. I write late at night. I read late at night. I plan menus and research vacation ideas.
Halloween: Oh What a Fright
Zombies, graveyards, haunted houses, witches, goblins. How did it happen that we have this holiday that indulges all things spooking, scary and frightening? Celebrating Halloween over the years, I find myself pondering how it came to be that we celebrate the practice of intentionally scaring ourselves and each other on
Abracadabra Day
When my kids were little, we had a family tradition of Abracadabra Days. They were each entitled to one day in the fall semester and one in the spring to wake up and declare that they would take the day off from school. Maybe they needed more sleep. Maybe they
Billboard Mental Health
Roadtrip! I am writing from the backseat of a newfangled rental car because, as you may remember from an earlier post, our family car (who we affectionately call “AMY” after her license plate) is a 2002 Toyota Camry with almost 200,000 miles. She only drives local now. On the way
