Hope in a New Year

Hope in a New Year

Many thanks for your patience during my extra-long holiday break. I hope you enjoyed your holidays, and wish you all the best in 2018. It may seem that most news is bad news lately. But bad news gets more airtime than good news. I see many reasons for hope in the long...
Why Do You Celebrate Christmas?

Why Do You Celebrate Christmas?

[Image is Margaret at a book signing.] Our brains are wired to focus on our differences when we disagree with someone. But in order to persuade or build consensus with that person, look for common ground and build from there. It’s hard to look for common ground when...
A Gift of Poetry for You

A Gift of Poetry for You

The bulk of my book Love on the Rocks with a Twist features short stories, each followed by study notes on the characters’ interactional skills–what they did well and how they could have done better. There are two exceptions. The introductory essay, “What’s the...
Reflections on Gratitude

Reflections on Gratitude

At this heart-warming time of year, I offer a selection of quotations on gratitude and Thanksgiving: “There shall be/ Eternal summer in the grateful heart.” Celia Thaxter, “A grateful heart,” Poems, 1872 “Gratitude is the heart’s...
The Company We Keep, Then and Now, Pro and Con

The Company We Keep, Then and Now, Pro and Con

I’ve been re-reading some favorite Jane Austen novels and re-watching the corresponding movies and TV shows, reflecting on how few options for socialization people had in those days, especially outside of large cities. No phone, no texting, constraints of both time...