Hi there, I’m Amy’s husband, Jeff. You know me from Amy’s columns, especially the ones where she includes crazy pictures of me.  In her last column, Amy told a story of something funny I did, so she handed over the reins of this column for me...

The two of us grew up in an era where there was a division of labor in our homes. Usually, the man/husband/dad did the messy inside and outside stuff—dishes, garbage, fixing the toilet and changing light bulbs, yardwork and maybe grilled—and cleaned...

What would you do if your child’s life was threatened?  If your child required specific healthcare in order to thrive, to survive? For most parents, the question is absurd.   Of course, we would go to the end of the earth, exhaust our capabilities...

I recently turned 77 years of age—an occasion for reflecting about what I have witnessed over my considerable lifetime. Among the things witnessed is a sense that Americans have become increasingly soft. Why do I say this? I was born in 1945, as “the...

(JTA) — Conservative-Masorti Judaism strives to accommodate the rich diversity of the Jewish world. A crucial part of this mission is ensuring that Jews of color feel welcome in our communities and heeding the call for racial justice. The voices of...

Every day, we make dozens of decisions. Some are minor like what to cook for dinner and whether to take a walk after a morning working at our computer. Or maybe we should head out in the afternoon when our work is done. Some are clear cut. Should I...

It happens to most children. They decide they want a pet of their very own, perhaps a hamster, gerbil, cat, dog, bird, or goldfish.  As parents, we know that their promises to love it, be responsible for it, train it, feed it, and clean up after...

You darling readers have given me some wonderful feedback on this column, and I appreciate it. I especially love when you think I’m funny. Actually, I think my friends are way funnier than me. So I thought I’d share a couple of their stories to prove...

Grief seems to be the topic de jour. It’s everywhere. Anderson Cooper’s new podcast, “All There Is” touches on his grief from the deaths of his father when he was 10, his brother who committed suicide and his famous mother Gloria Vanderbilt who...

When Margaret was little, she had an uncle who always held court at holiday time, receiving endless praise from relatives gathered around the table. He was a major philanthropist to many political, cultural and social causes. Having an audience was one...

After reading the title of this blog post, many of you might be wondering, "How bad could it be?" "To whom might she be referring?" "Did it actually come to fruition?" and "Who scraped Sheri off the floor?" My story begins with the blessing of...

We know you’ve heard us loud and clear talking about the delicate matter of hearing loss. We each have our own way of dealing with this deficit. Most of us are in complete denial. We avoid dealing with it because: We despise the look of hearing...