Parenting can feel like a thankless job. With toddlers, there are the unpredictable tantrums erupting from the strangest of grievances (“No wanna climb stairs!”), the endless trips to the potty (and countless loads of laundry for the inevitable misses), and the CIA-level deciphering of a nonstop stream of gibberish (“Eee meow wit Dada!” translates to “I want to eat a banana with Dad!”). I do enjoy a spontaneous hug or sloppy kiss from my two-year-old now and then, but parents seem on par with teachers, social workers, and garbage collectors in the realm of underappreciated occupations.

Unfortunately (or maybe, fortunately)…

In my early 20s, I almost met and married Matt Damon. I’ll tell you the rest of this story at the end of this article. (Yes, this is a gimmick, but there’s a lesson in it — I promise!)

But before we get into that, let me switch gears.

As a socially awkward introvert looking forward to returning to “normal” after the pandemic, I’m both excited and nervous about the promise of public gatherings. In typical nerd fashion, I decided to read up on how to improve my social skills and checked out “Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People”…

Slumped over like a question mark, my sister shuffles across the first floor of her house. Her feet drag and her legs collapse beneath her from time to time, leaving her in a crumpled pile. Once in a while, her boyfriend or her 15-year-old daughter finds her, and she can’t recall how long she’s been lying there.

She can no longer lace her fingers around a glass of water and bring it to her lips. Her right hand flutters like a bird with a broken wing, unable to lift itself and sustain its own weight.

Yesterday, my sister sent me…

Some details of this story have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.

When you’re starting out as a freelance writer, the world seems full of possibilities. Unfortunately, inexperienced freelancers can become vulnerable to exploitation or fall victim to miscommunication and end up burning bridges with clients. Here’s my cautionary tale and pitfalls to avoid.

A few months ago, a marketing executive found me on Medium and asked if I would be interested in writing content for his company. …

Today, I read an article that hit me in the gut and left me gasping for breath. In Anti-Racism Is Becoming Troublingly Racist, Steve QJ calls out so-called woke allies as causing more harm than good. For example, he cites people who write articles suggesting the “The Smurfs” was racist or asking why so many robots are white. They detract from more pressing issues like criminal justice reform. He portrays them as navigating the antiracism landscape like “a toddler trying to perform open-heart surgery.” By the end of the article, I realized — I am one of these toddlers.

I’ve…

While searching out potential prompt topics, I discovered March is National Optimism Month in the US.

After more digging around on the Internet than I’d like to admit, I’m still not sure how or why Optimism Month came to be. Some guess it’s preparing us for Spring — the season of growth and renewal. Others suggest it’s due to lobbying by the Optimist International Club. No matter the case, this month gives us an opportunity to consider how optimism has influenced our understanding of the meaningful events in our lives.

In honor of Optimism Month, we’d love to hear your…

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

To hear Darja Gutnick describe it now, entrepreneurship has always been in her blood. “I grew up with a mom who was an entrepreneur — very dynamic, very results-driven, very-determined. I grew up in her business, and I didn’t know how to live [other than] in an entrepreneurial way. I always wanted to know how things work and how I can use what I understand to solve problems.”

Getting to know Ms. Gutnick on a Zoom call, she’s every bit the entrepreneur — effervescent, discerning, disarmingly charming. She’s donning a wearable blanket…