My children spend 6 to 9 hours at their school, depending on the day. I am invested not only in the quality of their school, but in the health of the school. When I drop them off, I sometimes feel like a stealth inspector for...

Rosa Parks, the iconic civil rights activist who was born a hundred years ago today, remains a potent symbol of the extraordinary influence one ‘ordinary’ individual can have by taking a stand — or, in her case, remaining seated. When Parks defied the bus driver...

I don’t watch the news that often. I find most of the stories depressing and a sad commentary on the state of the world– something that I’m already well aware of. This week was a different story. Last Wednesday night I watched the news from...

Sometimes I wonder what leaders of the past would have to say about problems of the present. We are coming up to the “President’s Weekend” holiday and by a karmic coincidence, the State of the Union address falls on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, so I’ve had Lincoln...

My couch contains a toxic flame retardant linked to cancer. Your couch probably does too. So, most likely, do your infant car seats, nursing pillows, televisions, and mattresses. Troubling? I agree. As I wrote in November, flame retardant chemicals are added to home furnishings and...