We don’t talk enough about the in-between—the part where we’re considering change, but the way forward isn’t clear. It’s easier to celebrate the finish line, the moment a goal is achieved. But there’s something just as worthy in the messy middle. It takes real strength...
The girls had a dentist appointment after school, so we were sitting together in the waiting room, flipping through old magazines. Across the room, a man was cleaning the oversized fish tank—one of those bright, bubbling displays meant to make waiting feel a little easier....
There are folded pieces of paper on the passenger seat of my car, wedged between a tangle of charging cords, a Kindle, a laptop, and an iPad. One is a storm of scribbles—half-formed sentences, words crossed out in frustration. The other is a kids’ menu,...
The forest is full of quiet generosity. Trees, often thought of as solitary, are in constant communication beneath the soil, sharing resources in ways that keep the entire ecosystem alive. Scientists have discovered that when a tree is cut down, the surrounding trees respond. Their roots...
For years, Ella did her homework at the kitchen table while I made dinner. I’d move around the kitchen, chopping vegetables, stirring a pot, opening and closing the oven. She’d spread out her papers, flipping through notes, opening and closing her laptop. Between a step...
The abyssal anglerfish is a creature of the deep, living more than a mile beneath the surface in a world of darkness and pressure so intense that few things can survive it. She is small—no bigger than the palm of a hand—but built for the...
The girls and I have been watching Say Yes to the Dress, a show where soon-to-be brides try on wedding dresses and, in what feels like record time, declare, This is the one! I watch, a little baffled, as they twirl in certainty after trying on only a...
On a recent flight to a meeting where I was going to be talking about the science of human connection, I found myself seated next to a mom and her young son. As we settled in, she gave me a quick smile. “He gets a little...
The confusion began when a tourist in Iceland stepped away from her tour group to change out of wet clothes. Time passed, and the group grew concerned, noticing she hadn’t returned to the bus. A helicopter was called, but fog delayed the search. Meanwhile, the...
The results from the annual World Happiness Report are in, and guess what? Finland has claimed the top spot yet again. Despite long, dark winters and icy landscapes, Finns report higher life satisfaction than any other country. After seven consecutive years at number one, I...