We are trained from the time we emerge from our mothers’ wombs to look forward to vacations as a chance to relax, have fun, escape from the rigors of life. But for a small percentage of us, vacation is harder than work—it requires far more stamina than sitting in an office chair for eight hours...

There comes a moment in every person’s life when she realizes she has just entered the second half of her life. With the average lifespan of a woman in the United States being 81, I technically crossed that line three years ago. Yes, that’s when my waist disappeared and the pregnancy questions started; my squiggly...

We are trained from the time we emerge from our mothers’ wombs to look forward to vacations as a chance to relax, have fun, escape from the rigors of life. But for a small percentage of us, vacation is harder than work—it requires far more stamina than sitting in an office chair for eight hours...

I didn’t earn the nickname “Tourettes” for my great small-talk skills. If there is a way to accidentally offend someone, I will find it. Here are some of my favorites: When I took my daughter Katherine, whom my husband and I named after my grandmother and my great grandmother, two very strong women in our...

I wanted to take my daughter to the mall. That shouldn’t be so difficult, right? I overheard her on the phone saying to a friend, “You’re so lucky that your mom likes to shop. My mom HATES the mall.” It’s true. Malls, like carnivals and amusement parks, give me anxiety. They always have. When I...