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I’m on the radio tonight
I never know which posts or column links will hit home when I hit “Publish.” So I’m always surprised and happy to hear from readers who follow this blog. Earlier this week, I received an email from radio personality Marie Osborne, who is guest-hosting the Mitch Album Show on WJR (AM 760 on the dial) with Steve Courtney. Marie read my recent Oakland Press column about family heirlooms and why millennials don’t want to inherit them. The topic resonated with her and she invited me to discuss the topic on her show. I’m honored to be asked — and looking forward to it. Tune in to WJR this evening at…
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Emotional baggage or timeless treasure?
“If a gift has come to you wrapped in obligations and tied tightly with a ribbon of guilt, then it’s not really a gift at all.” ~Peter Walsh, professional organizer Organizing an estate sale is probably one of the toughest things we have to do after our parents die. If your folks collected as many family heirlooms as mine did, you’ll face the emotionally loaded task of deciding which items to keep and which ones to sell or give away. And what happens when your grown kids don’t want to inherit the family treasures? For starters, it helps to learn and understand the generational differences in what we value. My…
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How connected are we, really?
“We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection.” ~Sherry Turkle Words have tremendous power. As social media users learned early in the game, our words can unite — and our words can alienate. Today’s quote is another favorite in my “communication collection.” Sherry Turkle, a social science and technology professor at MIT, reminds us that online connection doesn’t offer the same emotional health benefits as in-person communication. Here, she hints at the danger of spending more time online than we spend developing deeper relationships with others. ~CL If you missed it earlier, here’s a link to a…
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How to dress for the day
“If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” ~Roald Dahl When I wake up crabby and the early-morning headlines are depressing, my first impulse is to spend the day shuffling around in my pajamas — or reach for an icky outfit that shouldn’t be seen in public. (This became a habit for most of us during the quarantine weeks of the pandemic.) I’ve always been a clothes horse, but I used to save all my “nice” clothes for special occasions. One morning, I finally woke up to the fact that every new day is worth celebrating. So I started…
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Living large
“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine.” ~Marianne Williamson When I was a kid — before the Internet was born — I was told that it was rude to brag or boast in public. In those days, “nice people” stooped to avoid casting a shadow on others, and it was impolite to talk about yourself too much. When I earned good grades or won a contest, for instance, I learned to share the news ever-so-discreetly with the folks closest to me. Or I kept it to myself. Years…
