Lindsay Pyfer

I recently received a call from my niece, who's pregnant with her first child. She was nervous that she'd get to the hospital and wouldn't know what to do. At one point when we were talking about the stages of labor, she asked, "Is that when I'll scream?"

"You probably...

I was six the day my mother called me into the bedroom she shared with my stepfather. "Take off your shirt and pedal pushers," she said. I set them on the bed.

My stepfather stood near the full-length mirror on the closet door. "Come stand here."

I stepped to...

Some people consider fruitcake the worst gift ever. That's because they only know the store-bought version. The kind that hardens in a couple of weeks, then crumbles and disintegrates -- except for the red and green cherries, which have a half life instead of a shelf life.

...

Imagine you've got a week until your college essay is due. You think it's impossible. You're worried it won't be good enough. Even worse, you're convinced you don't have anything worth writing about. But you do.

As a volunteer with College Access Now -- a program in the Seattle schools...

Even as a little girl, I would have rolled my eyes at "reality" shows like Say Yes to the Dress and Four Weddings, which idealize marriage and create wildly unrealistic expectations. I never dreamed of my wedding day, never sketched my fantasy wedding gown or played with the...

I arrived at the hospital in West Hollywood, ten days past my due date, contractions six minutes apart, ready to have my baby. I'd brought an overnight bag, two big pillows, my insurance card, and my husband, Greg.

I was pretty sure labor would hurt, but I'd manage the pain...

I hovered outside my toddler son's bedroom, listening to his distressed wails through the door, my hands twisted into a tight knot. Seven minutes since I'd last gone in to comfort him, and -- according to a well-known pediatric sleep expert -- I needed to wait three more.

"Wait...