This column was first published in the Reading Eagle on May 7, 2024. For the past few months, we’ve looked at how my angel of a dog taught me to become more… patient, kind, accepting and authentic. In our final part of this series, we discuss what Raffi taught me about empathy. As usual, it’s […]
This column was first published in the Reading Eagle on March 26, 2024. We’ve talked about being authentic several times in this column over the years (2016, 2017 and 2019). Each time, we focused on a different aspect of what it means to be authentic and how to be it. This time we’ll focus on […]
This column was first published in the Reading Eagle on February 6, 2024. Today’s lesson is about becoming more accepting in the workplace. Raffi accepted everyone! Age, color, wealth meant nothing to him. Two things did: were you nice to me, did you bring him a treat? What did I learn from Raffi? That I […]
I was interviewed by Bold Journey. It is very personal, but intentionally so. I hope that it contributes to the mental health and wellness conversations we need to have more often. Originally published by BOLD JOURNEY, October 23, 2023 We were lucky to catch up with Santo D. Marabella recently and have shared our conversation […]
I’ve been playing pickleball since June of last year. It is the first team sport that I can honestly say that I enjoy. For anyone not familiar, it’s similar to tennis with a racket that reminds me of an over-sized ping-pong paddle and you typically play with 2-person teams. When I started, it was typically […]
This column was first published in the Reading Eagle on January 2, 2024. Today’s lesson: Become More… Kind. What did Raffi teach me about being kind? Remember the saying, “they don’t have a bad bone in their body”? Well, that was Raffi. Easy-going, friendly, and happy. Never heard him growl unless we were playing rough […]
This column was first published in the Reading Eagle on November 21, 2023. This is the second edition in our series, “Become More…” First, a quick Raffi story. Raffi was a flat-coated retriever and one of the things the breed is known for its patience. He was patient to the point that he would wear […]
This column was first published in the Reading Eagle on October 24, 2023. In my last column, I talked about the passing of my dear dog, Rafaelle (Raffi). I shared the significant loss I have experienced, but also the great impact he had on my life. Your overwhelmingly compassionate response is something I will always […]
This column was first published in the Reading Eagle on September 5, 2023. Dogs. Cute, lovable creatures — sure; transformative, teaching beings — oh, please… “It’s just a dog!” Right? I was so wrong. I recently had to let Rafaelle, my 11½ year old flat-coated retriever, go so he wouldn’t suffer. I know that one […]
This column was first published in the Reading Eagle on July 25, 2023. Just Say No! You might recall that mantra for the anti-drug campaign of the 80s… that is if you were born and old like me! Well, I’d like to reframe it for a new campaign — Say No to Employers who Disrespect […]
