This week, I came across an interview with one of my sheroes, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, on the podcast, How To Be A Better Human. Here is a transcript of the interview. Dr. Johnson is a marine biologist, climate activist, and teacher. She is fearless about facing climate change as it is, and she has an infectious, buoyant spirit and an amazing sense of wonder about the natural world. She’s anything but doomy and gloomy. And she breaks the science down … read more »

I’m at the annual conference of the NYS Council on Divorce Mediation this week, so I’ll keep it short today. I’ll also be celebrating my birthday in a few days, and I plan on having a shamelessly joyful day. Here’s what Heather Cox Richardson says about joy as a form of resistance. So, here’s to a great and joyful weekend doing what you love with the people you love!

A few days after my first husband died of a heart attack in June 2001, I noticed a little dandelion growing up between the cracks in the concrete steps behind our building. My world had just crashed, and I was flattened out, yet here was this little plant going about its business, striving toward the sun. “How could a simple dandelion be allowed to be alive,” I asked myself, “when it isn’t here?” It just didn’t make any sense to … read more »

My parents took me down to Washington DC for large demonstrations to protest the Vietnam War when I was a kid. I loved seeing a sea of people in all directions on the Mall and the feeling of camaraderie among strangers. I loved the slogans on the buttons and the signs (e.g. “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” “War is not healthy for children and other living things”). I loved that we were all … read more »

I attended Harvard Divinity School to study world religions in my twenties. I learned that every religion – spanning the world and going back for thousands of years – holds up compassion as a virtue. Judaism teaches the concept of tikkun olam – that we must repair the world through service to others. Christians have the Golden Rule, which says, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Compassion toward other people and beings is a core … read more »

It’s hard to believe that it has been 5 years since the world was turned upside down by Covid. I was teaching at CUNY Law School that semester, and one day in March 2020, I realized that we were all having trouble concentrating on family law because we were so worried. So we made a list of things we could do to keep ourselves and each other safe. My blog post that month (which shows the list) was Love in … read more »

Are you a doer? When your friends present you with a problem, do you want to jump in and fix it for them? Many of us see a problem and want to solve it, but that’s not always what is needed. Sometimes, we just need a little empathy—at least at first. My dad was a neurologist and a professor. This reminded me that when he died, his students quoted him saying, “Don’t just do something, stand there!” Sometimes, that’s good … read more »