Hey, man --
In about five seconds, you're going to be a dad. I know: Her due date isn't for five months -- or three weeks, or whatever. That's immaterial. In dad-to-be time, it is five seconds.
We're talking about the amount of time it takes to remove 20 bucks from the ATM. A mere blip.
But these five seconds are precious. (Fact is, you don't know what "precious" means until you hold the warm, gurgling bundle of your own tiny baby.) Savor these seconds. Cherish them. Luxuriate in them, dude, because you'll never have this much quiet or relaxation or freedom or domestic peace or relative lack of stress ever again. And that's good.
Being a dad-to-be is way different than being a dad. You're about to become much less important (suddenly you're no longer the key person in your...
Lifestyle
Dear Parents and Family Weekend,
One of my favorite ideas in life is that “everyone has a story.” I feel like whenever I’m able to keep that in mind, the world becomes a better place. People become discoveries waiting to happen, and I’m put in a mindset that urges me to try and understand where people are coming from instead of judging where they stand.
I’m also a very big fan of parents. First of all, my own mom and dad are probably my favorite people in the world. They are, simply put, the best. However, I’m also just very pro-parent in general. I think that so much of what we have and who we are is (for better or for worse) because of the people who raised us. Everyone comes from a different background, but that’s what makes parents so interesting. They are a huge part of...
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Dear Mr. and Mrs. Nugent,
It has come to my attention that your son Ted was a participant in the bear massacre that recently took place in Florida. Now, I know he got his permits and did everything by the book, but I find it a little disturbing that your son is so fascinated by the act of killing God’s beautiful creatures. Then there’s the time he bragged about taking his machine gun, going up in a helicopter and mowing down 455 wild pigs. That’s not exactly the sport of hunting; that’s just wholesale slaughter. I found myself wondering where this behavior originated. I mean, Ted delights in telling those who care – and I don’t – that he was born and raised Catholic and still attends mass regularly. So what’s with the killing stuff?
For that matter, what’s with his entire life? How...
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Dear Michelle,
Today we write to you as two sisters, two daughters, who, like Malia and Sasha, love their mom and depend on her for guidance, support, and love.
Still, we live in a very different world than your daughters.
Our family emigrated from Brazil in 1998 and settled in Connecticut. Yes –you’ll be here this Thursday and your husband will be visiting on Sunday.
Our mom, Ana Maria, came seeking the American Dream, doing what any mother would do for her children. For as long as we can remember, our mom has been in love with America and what it stands for – its way of life, its opportunity, and its people. As an aerobics instructor and a marathon runner, our mom had been to the United States many times and in 1998 we decided to move here permanently.
Our family is...
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Dear Parents,
Soon California will release the results of your child’s Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, or SBAC tests. These tests are also known as the new Common Core test that California and states across the country implemented last year.
Please know that as you receive the results of your child’s SBAC scores our child’s results may show up as failures. This does not mean that your child is not intelligent, that your child’s teacher is doing a poor job or that the school your child is attending is failing. However, it does mean that the SBAC test is achieving expected results. You see, the SBAC test is a failure by design.
The testing company, who was hired to design the SBAC tests (now called CAASSP), with no input from educators, has purposely designed it to produce...
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I am writing this letter, I am sure, on behalf of hundreds, if not thousands and perhaps even hundreds of thousands of families like mine who have a loved one with an Eating Disorder – or have lost a loved one to an Eating Disorder. All of us share the belief that this is not a disorder, but is a chronic serious illness. As such, it should really be labeled an Eating Disease.
We also share the frustration and are all fed up with the way Eating Disorders are perceived, misunderstood, and mistreated in Ontario and all of Canada by the health system, health practitioners and medical insurance companies. Our beloved daughter, now 29 years old, has been struggling with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa for the past eleven years. The past 4 years have been the worst for her as this...
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Dear parents of entrepreneurs,
Where should we begin? There's so much to say. I guess the first thing that comes to mind is:
It must not be easy.
You know what I mean--the wondering.
Why did my child have to be different? Why couldn't they just finish college, like the other kids? Why couldn't they get a normal job? Work for someone else? Less worries. Less stress.
To answer your question, a lot of it is because of...how do I say this?
Well, it's because of you.
I know, not all of you owned your own businesses. But you taught us to give 110% in everything we do. You made sure we learned to make our own decisions. And to take responsibility for them. You taught us that we should try and do good for others. That we should try and do good for ourselves.
You said it...
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Dear Parents,
We have just concluded our first family meetings of the year with you and your teens. It is energizing for us to meet with you to get an indication from all parties of Compass’s role in the life of your family. We are left with the feeling that we are all part of a team, supporting one young person. Although we may not always know it, we sense that the family meetings are a powerful experience for the teens; their voices matter. We call them “family meetings” versus “parent meetings” very purposefully. We learn useful ways of interacting with your teen as we observe you negotiating and discussing various things with your child. We see how deeply you care.
As we negotiate how teens use their time at Compass, we recognize that we are in a very different position than you...
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Dear fellow citizen,
Here we are sharing that most intimate of experiences, the economy section of a modern airplane. Welcome! I can see by the sour, pained look on your face that you have already decided that you hate me and everything I stand for because I am traveling with a small child. I sense you are annoyed. I’d like to take this opportunity to clear the air (ha ha.)
flying with kids
Of course, I do not know this because you have used our shared gift of human language to communicate your thoughts with me, but rather because I have intuited it from your body language. While I am sure you have an impressive educational background, excellent career references, and a lengthy resume full of accomplishments–all of which probably largely rely on your excellent verbal skills!–it...
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Dear nameless, shameless street kid, how I dislike you!
Let me introduce myself, but wait. You will recognize me as I proceed with my account of the gravity of your action at the McDonalds outlet in Pune.
I am outraged at your temerity. You stepped inside a McDonald outlet? You entered not to beg, nor to steal, but to actually buy a Fanta McFloat. Can you even spell the name? Do you realise how cheated I felt seeing you rubbing your bony shoulders with ours which carry the burden of the country's governance and economy? What cheek to stand in the same queue where we outperfume each other to cover our stinking riches?
Representational image. ReutersRepresentational image. Reuters
After a long day of counting calories and a hectic workout session at the gym do I not have a right to eat...
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