Columns

Recently, my former brother-in-law Johnny invited me to his house for the weekend to spend some much-needed time with friends. He lives about 40 miles outside of Philadelphia, and I love visiting him because his home sits on a hill on a quiet cul-de-sac. I expected it to be a…

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. It’s not about material things, or one religion over another, or one-upping anyone with decorations or extravagant gifts. It’s simply a day of gratitude. A day for friends, family, football, and of course,…

As I write this, today is my best friend’s birthday. If I know him well, I suspect that on this day (I’m writing this on Tuesday), he is both externally happy and internally reflective. I suppose it is natural to take stock of life — both the good and the…

Yesterday, I made vegetable curry for dinner, and it was a big deal. Well, it was for me. I’ve never been much of a cook. When I was 15, I “wooed” my husband by burning a frozen pizza, so he knew what he was getting into when he chose to…

By the time this column is published, I will have seen my specialist at the Johns Hopkins Sarcoidosis Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland. Although I live in Brooklyn, New York, I still visit my specialist three times a year. Admittedly, technology and mobile apps make it easy to reach my…

The past few months have been challenging for me. I’ve had several doctor appointments that seemed more serious than usual, and I lost three family members who passed away. To put a number on things, I was close to one of those family members, very cool with another, and very,…

As I write this, I just learned of the passing of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. Admittedly, Powell had so many achievements that I’m not sure which title is most appropriate — general, secretary, or chairman. In the coming days and weeks, no doubt many words will be…

Last week, I took a leap of faith, and it’s given me a new outlook on things. I had taken my car to the dealership for service. It turns out that it needed a whole lot more than an oil change; the mechanic told me that…

Going down the rabbit hole is a real thing. I’ve often heard that phrase when it seemed I was going to let something consume all of my time and attention, to my detriment. As I like to say, “Don’t take yourself out of the game.” The phrase originated with…

The sarcoidosis community took a serious hit when we learned of fellow warrior Rodney Reese’s passing on Sept. 25. A beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Rodney was also a friend, brother, and father figure to thousands of people living with sarcoidosis. We have lost a cherished member of our family.