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Secrets are just that. They’re supposed to be secret and kept between the sharer and the listener. Period. Nobody else gets to know…or should know. Maybe, that’s the reason when someone has a secret and they tell someone else, they often preface it with: “I want to tell you something, but can you promise not to tell anyone for any reason?”  “Of course,” is the typical response. The person who is confiding might add, “This is really private and between us. I don’t want anyone to know” to emphasize the importance of secrecy. It doesn’t hurt to reinforce this sentiment.  ...

  Everywhere you turn these days, service providers have their hands out waiting for a tip. It can be so off putting. It’s especially top of mind now as we are coming off the holiday season and our wallets are almost on empty. Yet, we care about those who help us throughout the year and want to show it with more than a “thank you” or big smile.    In New York City, holiday season is traditionally a big time for tipping, especially if you live in a doorman building whether renting or owning. “In A Guide to Tipping Building Staff:...

  Even when you’re struggling and sadness grips you, joy is all around if you know where to look. Maybe it’s a first huge snow with branches dripping with white icicles, an upcoming visit and slumber party with your grandchildren, a good job performance review and maybe a raise, the recent remembrance of the joy of lighting the Hanukkah candles or decorating a Christmas tree, something as minor as a compliment from a stranger about a cute hat or purse, or finally getting to see a long-awaited TV show such as The Crown or a movie touted for months like Maestro. Possibilities...

With so much divisiveness in our world, fueled by different media, including social platforms, it’s easier than ever to hate. We hear people on the news and even in person, loudly saying, “I hate this person” or “I hate that group because they have such ridiculous ideas.” We may seem so smug and self-assured about our views but where’s the wiggle room for some discussion and a possibility for a different feeling? We’ve come to realize that hatred is a very strong word and an emotional suck. According to one definition, it represents intense dislike and ill will. Even when...

  What are two of your wishes and hopes for 2024, one that is possible and the other more aspirational? All might agree that 2023 has been a year of challenges. We’ve been hammered by the economic climate and climate change, gun violence, soaring student debt, precarious gig employment, skyrocketing home prices, Covid-19 and RSV, two major wars, a dysfunctional Congress and so much more. Albeit these concerns seem overwhelming, we have endured many horrors of the past and recalibrated our lives. Yet, there is hope and we wish for better times. Fortuitously, human beings are resilient. A piece in...