Over the weekend we celebrated my great-aunt Ida's 102nd birthday. "I can't believe it. Somebody got the arithmetic wrong," she teased, and then asked for extra cake frosting. My grandfather's eldest sister has had a century of hardship, including the loss of her infant son and husband of 60 years....

Read my first two posts in this series:
"Signing Up to Face My Fear: Seven Days of Silence" and "Winning the Quiet Game With My Mind."

Per the rules of the weeklong silent meditation retreat, talking wasn't the only thing we'd agreed to give...

Catch up on Ellie Knaus' first post in this series here: "Signing Up to Face My Fear: Seven Days of Silence."

I'm tired of chasing the happiness mirage, the oasis of contentment that always seems to be just out of reach. I thought that if I accomplished something...

This is Ellie Knaus' first post in her meditation retreat series.

I've grasped for approval my whole life. It started in elementary school, when I felt certain that gold stars, blue ribbons, and auditoriums full of clapping strangers could fill me up, make me whole. There were benefits to being...

After a recent health scare, I'm taking better care of myself. And since 80 percent of the immune system is in our gut, I'm adopting a clean diet. Goodbye preservatives. Sayonara artificial flavoring. Hasta la vista fluorescent margarita mix. But...

Hi, my name is Ellie, and I sweat the small stuff. Sure, I got the bestselling book as a stocking stuffer back in the '90s, but when I have issues I don't want to acknowledge, I resort to my chosen form of denial. Plato writes, "Be kind, for everyone you...

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I approached the hostess in a popular delicatessen. "I'm here with my great-aunt, Ida. She's turning 101 years old next month!" I was hoping for some centenarian special treatment, but the hostess cheerfully added us to the bottom of the wait list. I wove my...

Documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is a warrior for truth. Her courageous work gives voice to those marginalized by society. She accepted an international Emmy award in 2010 for her documentary Pakistan's Taliban Generation, which analyzes the Taliban's recruitment of young boys and their...

My great-aunt Ida loves to say, "This is only the beginning." Gearing up for her 101st birthday this May, Ida thrives on a daily Coca-Cola, full-bellied laughter, and an abundance of nourishing memories. Ida is remarkable not only for how...

Girlfriends are essential. They love you not for who you were, or who you could become, but for who you are right now. This past spring, I was diagnosed with a benign, massive, bone-dissolving Giant Cell Tumor. The year 2011 could have sucked. It didn't because I have girlfriends.
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