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It’s trumpeted everywhere that this is the season and time to be joyful. However, many of us have the opposite reaction. Thanks to a combination of consumerism, obligation and bad taste with a price tag of gifts and tips hanging over our heads, we sometimes feel more oppressed and overwhelmed than happy. We shop till we drop. Then, the insecurities bubble to the surface: is the gift for our grandchildren the right one? Do they really need another video game or doll? Does Dad even wear ties any longer or should I get him this chic (cheap) one on sale?...

I did a very impulsive thing when I first moved to New York City. I signed up on an app for a cleaning person to come every month for a year. Little did I know that I would not be communicating with a person but would text/email with a robot (I think they're called text bots) and get caught in a technological tangle. I decided to call him PITA (pain in the ass). I think of PITA as a him. I’m not sure why but maybe because a female robot would be softer, kinder, more considerate and not let me...

As the holidays heat up, so does our stress. This time of year is not necessarily a Norman Rockwell portrait or even a Lifetime Movie moment. Both depict Thanksgiving as a time of symbiosis to revel and rejoice. In fact, it can trigger quite the opposite response.  Part of the stress overload may have less to do with food prep or whether it’s your turkey recipe for deep fat frying versus your cousin’s for brining.  We have found that too often the peace can be undermined by those pesky nosey questions. Then all Thanksgiving hell can break loose.  We have...

On Wednesday, it was World Kindness Day so we thought it would be apropos to write a blog about it. Extending a small kindness doesn’t cost a penny, take much time and, in fact, offers a huge payoff. It can elevate your mood. “Hey,” you think to yourself, “I did something nice for someone else and I feel pretty good about it.” Often, it simply means smiling, offering a compliment and performing a simple gesture.  We hear so much about divisiveness and hate today, about this group against that group. “Mostly we don’t want to harm each other,” said Danusha...

If we get lucky and then live long lives, that often means extra time to mend relationships before it’s too late, no matter how frayed. It’s also the time for many of us to start managing the care of our parents and that often means putting whatever issues you have with them on hold as we take over management of their lives. This may entail making housing arrangements if they cannot live independently without assistance. Most want to age in place which in elder care parlance means staying in their homes and hiring someone to care for them if affordable....