There’s something really special about a bad bath; and other things — I have had the stomach flu, and the stomach flu has had terrible timing. It came during my busiest work week — the first full week of teaching — of the year. Without getting into the nitty-gritty here, let me say that I have taken on more than I can…

The academic year’s ‘clean slate’ is actually a little dangerous. — The beginning of the school year is seductive. You might not be a teacher, or a student, or a parent of a student, but I’m sure you can feel the energy: Everyone gets new, sharp, unchewed-on pencils! Fresh backpacks! Blank day planners! And with all this stuff comes the promise…

The secret to experiencing joy is learning how to notice it. — In a vacuum, I don’t really like watermelon all that much. I mean, if I’m just sitting in this vacuum, devoid of context, at a neutral temperature and with no one around, and a robotic hand is placing foods into my mouth and having me rank them, one to ten…

A tiny piece of advice that changed my life. — I love your shoes. Tell me about them! What’s the story? Where’d you get them; why’d you get them — I want all the details. OK, OK, you’re right: I am not really looking at your shoes at this exact moment. But years ago, I read a magazine interview with…

In loving, parenting, living in a body, and more. — Yesterday, I was shopping at one of those little gift shops that mostly only sells soaps and and jewelry you can’t imagine wearing, when a woman came up to me and said the thing that I strangers have been saying to me most often lately: Whoops…

It’s amazing to see the people you love; so why is it so stressful? — It’s summer. For something like 80 percent of Americans, that means traveling — which we take on despite astronomical gas prices, environmental concerns, and a global pandemic. That trifecta of difficulties is plenty to worry about, but it’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the highly specific…

The most important list you’ll read all year. — This is probably already obvious to you, but I have a new-ish baby. “Ish” because she is an age where is incredibly seduced by the charms Elmo, and honestly, I get it. Her interest in all things Elmo is the reason why I have now seen this two-hour video on…

In the delicate space between work and play — The longest day of the year has come and gone. Personally, I’m a fan of the winter solstice, because I like to say the sentence, “From here on out, we get a little more light every day until it’s summer.” Now it is summer. We’ve reached the summit, and from…

And they are these. — OK, computer-having modern human: you don’t feel like you really need a pen at all. Maybe one, if someone wants you to sign a document; but even then, wouldn’t they bring a pen, since this “ink signature” is so important to them? And hey, man, I get it: I like…