9-11. Two numbers can conjure such emotion. Today, I am attending a graveside funeral for a friend. Death is inevitable and reminds us we are mortal. I challenge you to think about how you end things, whether it’s a meal, a day, a relationship. The way you handle endings is a good marker for how [...]
Is there a difference between hearing and listening? When someone says, ‘Hear me out,’ do they really want you to just hear them? Or, are they looking for something more? Hearing is a simple act. Listening is an essential part of hearing. When a teacher asks, ‘Are you listening?’ they are seeking more than just [...]
Labor Day celebrates workers who have contributed to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. This is a good day to consider how you balance work which makes money with work you love. During the pandemic, my work as a motivational speaker came to a halt. One of the calls for work I received [...]
Recalling my Jewish day school years, I frequently felt shamed by my inability to thoroughly understand the content from the Book Of The Prophets or the study of Talmud. I struggled through Jewish study classes taught mostly in Hebrew. When there was a time constraint, my Hebrew teacher would skip over me because I took [...]
My income vanished during Covid. As a motivational speaker, most organizations weren’t comfortable replacing a keynote presentation with a virtual one. Hunkered down at home, I got creative. In my past career, I supplemented income teaching in a Hebrew school, making those old biblical stories come to life providing meaning for Jewish children today. Around [...]
“The name of the game is calories.” Dr. Vigneri, my radiation oncologist, informed me. “Forget what you’ve learned about healthy eating. I don’t care how you get those calories. Bulk up. I guarantee you will lose weight and you don’t have much to lose. Milkshakes with every meal. All the Haagen Daaz you can eat!” [...]
When I mention to people I had oral cancer, very often I am greeted with a dumbfounded expression and the comment, ‘Huh? That’s a thing?’ My eyebrows rise, my head tilts, I flash an all-knowing grin and nod. It's so remarkable that one can get cancer in the mouth, people genuinely want to know more [...]
Are you looking for a good reason to walk? Join my virtual walking team to support the Oral Cancer Foundation. Beginning August 1-30th I will be posting fun videos from my daily walk and providing educational information about oral cancer and oral health. Your support means a lot. Join our team Walk The Talk or [...]
When fighting for my life, I lamented the many lost opportunities to raise my children knowing the value of donations and charity. My focus shifted to building a foundation of family values. I purchased a custom charity box with modern lines and accents of metal curves which brought attention to the personalized message emblazoned in [...]
Vying for my attention became a constant and fierce rivalry between my two children. No matter how hard I tried to equalize my time, it was a fight to make up for the weeks they were denied while I underwent treatment for oral cancer. We would start an art project, and while I was admiring [...]
