Going Inkless

     I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions.  It's not that I don't believe in self-reflection or the power of declaring your intent to make positive changes in your life.  I don't think I'm perfect or that I don't need those little adjustments.  We're all capable of honing ourselves by whittling away the bad habits and starting new healthy ones.  It's just always felt a bit artificial to make some grand pronouncement about how you will change just because the old calendar is going in the trash can. (And if you're going to make a change, how about putting it in the recycling bin or investigating ideas for turning it into something new?)  When it's timely to change my ways, I will.  I won't wait for January 1, and I won't doom myself to failure by trying changes I'm not ready for just because I feel new year pressure.      Nevertheless, I do make Chinese New Year resolutions.  Not logical.  I know.  ...

     Families are communities, though we may not always think of them that way because they aren't communities of place like the town or country where we live.  They aren't communities of time either, like a high school graduating class or even communities of purpose like a club, a job, or a church group.  Most people don't choose their family, and it's not the sort of community you can decide to quit usually.  Nevertheless, it is one and is subject to those group dynamics like any other.      Whenever you put two people together, you will discover differences of opinion.  When there are three, there will be alliances, disputes, stratification and evolution.  Families are no different.      A few weeks ago, my husband argued with one of his brothers.  It began as a simple online discussion about whether the pledge of allegiance to the American flag should be recited daily in grade school classrooms.  ...