The best part of writing a newsletter are the emails I get in return. Recently, Calvin University’s student body president, Claire Murashima, responded to my grumblings about inaccurate usage of the word “humbled.” She shared this extremely comprehensive essay from a few years ago, in which the wonderful writer Carina Chocano explains the word’s origins and theorizes on why successful people use it incorrectly, insisting they are “humbled” by their achievements, rather than remotely pleased with themselves:

It’s pro forma — possibly even mandatory — for politicians, athletes, celebrities and other public figures to be vocally and vigorously humbled by…

My husband, Josh, is a politics reporter. On January 2, he flew to Atlanta to cover the Senate elections, then went straight on to Washington, D.C., where he stayed through the inauguration. I was alone with the kids for three weeks. We were fine! I treated us to a meal delivery service and was amazed at how much space I had in my brain when I didn’t have to think about what to make for dinner. But what’s more interesting is how we coped after he returned home.

Even though Josh had been the only guest in his Washington hotel…

Right before Christmas, I got an email asking for advice. This person was negotiating a new contract to host a podcast. They wanted to know if I thought their current fee was too high or low. I’m sure I’ve low-balled myself countless times over the years, so I’m usually happy to help people figure out their personal price point. But this email really rubbed me the wrong way. I’d like to briefly explain how basic courtesies can make or break your hunt for professional feedback, mentorship, or counseling.

First off, this person did not introduce themself. They assumed I’d know…

This Is Us

Do you feel like you’ve aged exponentially this year? Or, better question: Do you look like you’ve aged exponentially this year? I do. And not just because of the pandemic, the recession, or the numerous existential crises facing our country.

I’ll start by rewinding to March.

The last thing I did in pre-Covid times was get my usual monthly root touch-up. Five days later, New York City went into lockdown and we decided to rent a house in NJ to be closer to my parents. Hospitals started filling up with sick patients. My lovely hairdresser texted all her clients, offering…

How the virus helped me like myself, my family, and my nails more

I feel scared about the pandemic ending. That feels wrong to write, in light of all loss, pain, and misery people have endured over the past year. My family and I are extremely lucky, fortunate, privileged: our kids go to school part-time; my parents and in-laws are vaccinated; the husband and I can easily work from home. I’m in an industry that doesn’t qualify as “essential.” My last professional outing was exactly a year ago: The Hot Pod Summit, where my fellow podcasters and I nervously giggled…

I’ve taken to wearing my new reading glasses during meals. This stupid pandemic has destroyed my eyesight, and blurry food, I’ve discovered, is unappetizing. I’m middle-aged. My vision was bound to deteriorate sooner rather than later. But my sight’s rapid decline has made me fearful for my kids. What is six hours of Zoom a day doing to their young, plump eyeballs?

I recently attended a virtual seminar called Eyes on Screens: Maintaining Your Kids’ Ocular Health in a Digital World, put together by Children and Screens. Much of what I learned applies to adults, too. Let’s start with the…

I live in Puppyland. That’s what my Brooklyn neighborhood has become. Amidst the bags of recycling on the curbs, empty storefronts, and masked teens trying desperately to socialize outside the pizza place, puppies dot the landscape. Mostly mini labradoodles, but also a baby dachshund named Hazel, a very small Boston terrier called Winston, and a fluffball goldendoodle who goes by Henry. My kids and I know their names because we became those annoying people who stop nearly every owner to ask, “Can we pet your dog?”

Full confession: I’d never particularly liked dogs. Or, I should say, I’d never particularly…

I’m trying to think about simple things right now: things that I might have overlooked when I cared whether my Metrocard was full; things to distract me from the feeling of despair that hangs in the air; things that are right in front of me, or even, on me, that I may have taken for granted 11 months ago. Like my nose.

When we’re not hyperventilating about the state of our country, we take around 22,000 breaths a day. And, unless you’re a mouth breather, we also inhale smells. But did you know that our nostrils are engaging in a…