Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

 - Emerson

Our country has been shocked and horrified by the Pulse club shooting in Orlando, Florida, where the victims were part of the LGBT community. This population has faced many challenges with violence and discrimination for decades that makes this latest tragedy all the more painful. It is further hurtful that this happened now when June is Pride month in the LGBT community, a time that should be filled with celebration of progress and freedom.

There are ways to help the survivors cope, to help yourself if you are part of the LGBT community, or to help anyone who is feeling impacted by this crisis. You can find articles to help cope with traumatic events...

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

 -Henry James

The horrific attack in Orlando Florida over the past weekend brought back the all too familiar and deeply unsettling impact of such sickening events.  We all mourn when such tragedies occur.  Our hearts and sentiments are with everyone affected. 

The links below, from the American Psychological Association, discuss how to manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting, provide guidance on how to talking with your children about such scary events, and offers suggestions to build personal resilience...

Poll any individual or family and ask them what their work-life balance looks like and you’ll get a million different answers.  Work-life balance is quite personal and value centered. Feeling “out-of-balance” can be physically and emotionally draining, not to mention create problems in the home.

Your objective is to find your own balance.

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The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude. 

-William James

Summer is just around the corner and with the change in season parents can start to look forward to long days spent lounging at the pool or at the beach, while their kids run around aimlessly without a care in the world. After a long day of relaxing you head home,  throw something delicious on the grill, and eat off of paper plates so there is nothing to clean up.  You spend the rest of the evening enjoying a cool beverage while watching fireflies and listening to the crickets chirp as you watch the final moments of daylight slip away.  Then you wake up from that lovely dream and realize...

Memorial Day this year is especially important as we are reminded almost daily of the great sacrifices that the men and women of the Armed Services make to defend our way of life.

-Robin Hayes

With Memorial Day upon us, we begin to think of summer fun, backyard barbeques, vacations, days at the pool and all those activities representing the summer season. It is important to take time to pause and to think of what this holiday actually means.

Memorial Day is a day to reflect on the cost of freedom and a time to honor those who paid the ultimate price.  Forty-six million people served in the uniform services of this nation since its founding. One million and one...

Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.

- Maurice Setter