Columns

Years ago, I took a young family member to acting classes for eight weeks. The class focused on improvisation, also known as improv. During that two-month period, I learned so much about the fine art of acting. Recently, I recognized how this has helped me deal with sarcoidosis. Improv is…

The unpredictability of sarcoidosis can make life chaotic, which has made me a bit of a control freak, as my sister found out when we traveled together last year. After taking in the breathtaking view of Boston Harbor from our hotel window, my burning question was which bed she…

Welcome to a new year and a new decade! As 2019 came to a close, I began to make plans for the new decade. I decided that I would take more chances, like I used to do before suffering multiple incidences of…

I previously wrote about the challenge of living with sarcoidosis during the four seasons. Each season has its difficulties. Yet I can’t imagine living without the change in weather. I enjoy each season for what it has to offer. We’re well into winter in the Northeast. The cold, wind,…

Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Jan. 20 this year. On this national holiday, Americans are encouraged to volunteer to serve their communities. If you are unable to participate, there’s a good reason to find other ways to be charitable this year: your health. Being charitable has…

As we usher in a new year, I realize that I have not made resolutions in ages, which I guess is directly related to my sarcoidosis. I suppose that years ago, I put goals to paper on Jan. 1. Items such as exercising more and eating more healthily were…

Many of us start the new year with a list of resolutions, but few are successful at sticking to them. Almost all of us abandon them within weeks. Last year, I was among those struggling, so I decided to change course mid-year. I ditched the traditional list of…

This holiday season was not what I had expected. As I get older, I guess I have lost a lot of the childish excitement I used to feel during the holidays. As with most people, life gets in the way. Things change, and we lose…

The end of the year is upon us. Actually, the end of a two-decade period is just days away. Remember how in 1999 we were told to turn off our computers and hope for the best? At the time, some said the end was imminent…

It’s not uncommon to take a step back and assess the year now that we’re well into December. For many, this includes reflecting on goals accomplished — if any — and the state of one’s career or business. It also includes acknowledging the impact of life-changing events, such as graduations,…