Losing our beloved pet cat: Reflections on the fleetingness of life

While we’ve been fortunate to have some wonderful pets in our lives, none have touched our hearts the way our cat Moby has. It’s why we were so worried recently as he become more lethargic, eventually stopped eating completely, and started to turn yellow in his gums and eyes on Friday before Memorial Day. It […]

How to navigate awkward conversations (yeah, especially that one time…)

I was taking my mother-in-law’s place at a local event when a stranger she knew approached me unexpectedly with a newspaper. It was a bit awkward. “You’ll be seeing Kathy soon, right?” the elderly woman asked earnestly, smiling at me. “Yeah, she should be home tomorrow,” I responded, returning the good spirit with a friendly […]

First impressions (and lessons learned) our first day in Tokyo, Japan

Welcome to Tokyo, the largest metropolitan area in the world with more than 36 million people in 3 prefectures. Formerly known as “Edo” in the olden days, the Meiji Restoration renamed it to Tokyo in 1890.

5 Things to Remember When Your Pet Dies

She saw my coming-of-age moments and loved me all the same. So great was her love, in fact, that she became my mother-in-law’s home health care therapy dog. She loved nothing more than to sit on elderly clients’ laps, or nestle right into their sides, and provide a warm place for their hands to stroke. […]