Mom was a vibrant, healthy 85-year-old when she had a fall that resulted in her head smashing into a wall. A few hours before it happened, she'd called from her home in Florida, breathlessly sharing: "I passed my stress test with flying colors and got a clean bill of health...

A woman I'm friendly with showed me her personal ad. I was surprised to read what she was looking for-- someone who wanted marriage and kids and who was financially secure enough to support her in an upscale lifestyle. I didn't see qualities beyond that, like intelligence, healthy and happy....

I used to enjoy the thrill of making make New Year's resolutions every December. It was fun to declare all the things I wanted once the calendar changed. Sometimes, my friends and I would share them and get each other more excited. But it didn't feel good as the next...

I used to view having a man as a necessity of life -- that I needed one to complete me -- and felt miserable when I wasn't in a relationship. My happiness rose and fell with every man I dated or stopped dating. Most of the women I knew were...

When I first heard comments about Lady Gaga gaining weight, I hoped she wouldn't let it get to her the way comments about my weight used to pummel my self-esteem. As founder of The Self-Love Movement™, I was delighted to watch her fight back. She let everyone who...

When I was on Oprah, we discussed how important it is for parents to be good role models for their children. Every time a mother expresses dissatisfaction with her weight, wrinkles, cellulite, breasts, etc., her daughters begin to scrutinize their own little bodies harshly. "Do as I say, not as...

In my last post, "Changing Etiquette Between the Sexes," I discussed how many courtesies that have traditionally been extended from men to women should now be considered common courtesies. Both men and women should be courteous to each other. Several men commented that they try hard to...

On the subway recently, a man near me rushed to sit when someone got up. I was a little taken aback, as I'm used to men giving up seats to women. Then a man boarding the train made a quick dash to sit down. This change in etiquette was surprising....

We make many bad choices when we're scared of being lonely. When I was a people pleaser, the idea of being alone for any period of time seemed like torture. Since I didn't like myself, I couldn't imagine being happy in just my own company, which drove me to make...

I was a vulnerable, insecure fifteen-year-old when a guy I'll call Marty said, "With your pretty face and hourglass shape, you'd be a knockout if only you lost a little weight." All I heard was that I wasn't good enough because I was too fat. That "if only" message haunted...

A friend who I'll call Brian crashed with me recently. He's been living abroad for a while since his business is handled entirely online and his cost of living is much lower there. He sees me buying things on sale and eating at inexpensive cafes. Knowing I'm a freelance writer...

I was getting coffee at a press briefing about Lung Cancer Profiles when a very familiar voice said, "Hi, I'm Kathy." I knew that actress Kathryn Joosten was scheduled to speak about her experience with lung cancer but was still stunned to see...

I was just talking to a guy about Valentine's Day and was surprised when he said he dreaded February 14th. There was no special woman in his life and he and his buddies would probably drown their sorrows about not having a girlfriend with beer. I was surprised, since I...

Someone had to drag me to a mirror and force me to look at myself to notice I have pretty green eyes -- not hazel, green. I didn't know it, just like I didn't recognize the beautiful smile others commented on. I was twenty-eight years old and didn't value myself...

"You're turning into a bitch," my friend said when I told her she couldn't drop her kids off so she could do errands because I was busy. I was so taken aback by those words that I offered to change my plans to accommodate her. I didn't like being called...

I think I was born with my hand extended, an offering to anyone who needed it. Growing up, my friends and I were taught that the nicer we were, the more people would like us. Since we were all pleasers, it was a more level playing field. We were just...

I admit it. I've exhibited yelling and threatening behavior on the phone with a customer service person. My frustration from dealing with an electronic voice asking me questions while I screamed "representative" into the phone over and over made the person who finally answered the target of my wrath. That...

September 19th was a special day for me, my birthday. While many people spend their birthdays looking wistfully back on the youth they believe they've left behind, I revert to the feelings I had as kid and enjoy myself completely. My attitude is, "Yippee, it's my birthday and I'm gonna...

I can't believe that 10 years have passed since the morning I turned on the radio and heard screaming that a plane just hit the World Trade Center. I got to the TV as the second tower was hit.

My apartment faces south and I saw smoke rising above...

In my last post, Why We Tolerate Jerks, I mentioned my book, All Men Are Jerks Until Proven Otherwise. Not surprisingly, I got questioned about the title being derogatory to men. It's not male bashing. I believe that all women are jerks until proven otherwise too. The...