First Person
Creative personal essays on life and family
Dilemmas of the “Haveitall” Mom
A Young Mother Struggles with a New IdentityA young woman confronts the myths and dilemmas of motherhood. Read more
Nothing Like Willy Loman?
A Classic Play Still Casts a Haunting SpellMore than 60 years after its Broadway debut, a classic play continues to cast a haunting spell. Read more
Isle of Dreams
Searching for a lost self in the Ould SodSometimes the places we long to visit speak to needs that go much deeper than our appetite for exotic sights. Read more
The Art of Hanging-In There
A Hospice Social Worker’s Take on Inside CurveballsWhen something is coming at you that may cause pain or self-doubt, it’s natural to want to duck. Read more
Mozart Redux
Not All Families are Related by BloodNot all families are related by blood. Read more
"Tweenitis"
Mastering the art of ‘gruntology’The father of an 11-year-old struggles to master the language of gruntology. Read more
Recovering Together
An Ailing Mother Comes to the Aid of Her SonAn ailing mother and son help each other find their way back to health. Read more
The Sadness Ghost
A 6-year-old discovers the power of his imaginationIt’s not necessarily that sadness must always be avoided, but maybe we need to find a way to give it its place. Read more
The Fundamental Things
The times and tides of 33 years of marriageThe times and tides of 33 years of marriage Read more
The White Tuxedo
Saturday Night Fever Comes to the Bar MitzvahSaturday Night Fever comes to the bar mitzvah. Read more
The Stories We Live
In therapy—as in Fiction—There’s Always PossibilityBoth doing psychotherapy and the writing of fiction are about stories. The essence of the art of both pursuits is the openness to the possibility that, no... Read more
In every love relationship, there are words that best remain unspoken. Read more
Opening The Path
From What Is to What Can BeDown for the count, a therapist again discovers that even the most hopeless sessions can have a positive outcome if you stay with the process. Read more
Lost, and Found
Rediscovering a Subterranean Kingdom of MemoriesReconnecting with old memories in a father's special place. Read more
You've Got Mail!
A Cyber Relationship Sparks New DiscoveryA cyber relationship revives a marriage in the doldrums. Read more
Editor's Note: January/February 2011
Eating To Live, Not Living To EatThe old maxim "You should eat to live, not live to eat" may sound wise, but it's based on a profound misreading of the fundamental facts of human biology. Read more
Coming Full Circle
Learning to Choose Where You LookUnderstanding your place in the great circle of life is often a matter of where you choose to look. Read more
Listening to Your Heart
Sometimes Life's Greatest Gifts are Disguised as DisappointmentsA mother deals with the news that her child will have a lifelong impairment. Read more
Seeking the Silence
Wilderness Solitude Opens New Doorways into the SelfAt an age when many are sticking even closer to their couches and remote controls, a restless soul decides to seize his last chance to explore the wilderness... Read more
Hoop Dreams
On the Mean Streets of Dallas, Therapy’s a Whole New Ball GameA private practice therapist recalls his college days as a basketball player in a way he never dreamed of. Read more
Going, Going, Gone
A young boy finds his Charon for the final journeyAn ill child finds his place among a group of other boys in aging men's bodies. Read more
Tough Love
They Don't Make Fathers Like They Used ToFond memories of an old-fashioned father who believed in practicing tough love with his fists. Read more
Swept Away
Discovering the world of the sensesA young woman discovers the world of the senses. Read more
Meet Me Halfway
The Experiences of a Teen with Asperger's SyndromeThe worry and wonder of living with Asperger's syndrome Read more
Throughout our lives, our pets are our most unassuming teachers. Read more
The Impossible Child
A New Treatment Offers Hope for the UndiagnosableIn our culture, we don't take kindly to children who won't do as they are told. Now a new treatment approach offers hope for kids who defy standard diagnoses. Read more
A father and son reflect on a life path that isn't about money Read more
Dear Michael
Michael White taught us how to retell our life storiesMichael White, who died suddenly in April 2008 at 59, devoted his life to helping people find the kernels of personal courage, self-respect, and emotional... Read more
Time Traveler
An Empty Nest Can Portend a Freer LifeLife in the empty nest can be humbling, exhilarating, and occasionally, just plain weird. Read more
Run with It!
Redefining the Comfort Zone After CancerA woman recovering from cancer develops a new sense of her body and her comfort zone. Read more