ArcaMax

One of the promises of autumn where we live comes when the university marching band starts practicing on the front campus up the street from us.

Time was, I’d hear the unmistakable rat-a-tat-tat of the snare drums, and I’d grab my youngest by the hand and run the five minutes to the field in front of the music building where we would take ...Read more

Q. I have a 9-year-old son from my first marriage. My ex-wife (from my second marriage) and I raised my son together for 5 years. We split up 2 years ago, but she is still in my son’s life and spends a few hours with him every week. My new partner is resentful of even the smallest amount of time my son spends with her and demands that I no ...Read more

New research suggests that our thinking about aging is, well, old and outdated. A recent study claims people do not age gradually in a slow, linear fashion, but age in waves.

From what I gather, these are not gentle waves we are talking about, but waves more like tsunamis.

The first tsunami hits around age 44. Check and done.

My experience ...Read more

“The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance, yet better equipped to understand the … systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to ...Read more

The morning of Terrianne Zonca's grandfather's funeral in Honolulu, she was so busy getting ready that she forgot to eat breakfast.

Before going to the mortuary, Zonca's family gathered at her parents' house. They shared a glass of sake in honor of her beloved grandfather.

When the service started, Zonca's heart was racing. Her palms were ...Read more

It’s been said before that most poetry is autobiographical. Poetry is known to draw from a place of truth — whether emotional truth, universal observation, or personal anecdote. But "Recalibrating Gravity" by Mary Keating is a true memoir, told through a series of poems. In many ways, verse is the ideal form for Keating to share a story that...Read more

A few months after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during an NFL game, his alma mater – the University of Pittsburgh – trained its roughly 400 athletes in CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator.

For soccer goalie Ellie Breech, it was a refresher of the skills she'd learned while working summers as ...Read more

California took a major step in its fight to protect children from the ills of social media with Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature on a bill to limit the ability of companies to provide "addictive feeds" to minors.

Newsom on Friday signed Senate Bill 976, named the Protecting Our Kids From Social Media Addiction Act and introduced by state Sen. ...Read more

'NEVER LET GO'

Rated R for strong violent content and grisly images.

What it’s about: A troubled mother survives in the forest with her two young sons, tormented by terrifying visions of ghosts.

The kid attractor factor: This psychological horror thriller is for adults only, despite the two young stars.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Everything...Read more

Children get all kinds of books from their parents while growing up. But a book mine gave me when I was around 10 years old would have a significant impact on my life — even if I didn’t realize it at the time.

It was around 1980 when they gave me “Why Was I Adopted?” by Carole Livingston. The book is meant to help parents like mine ...Read more

Q. I have noticed in other columns that you have suggested that parents should be the only ones attending 504 special ed meetings for their children. Bonus parents should not attend. My ex believes his wife should attend, but last time we tried it, she was very opinionated and took over the entire meeting. Our meeting is coming up, and I would ...Read more

Heat waves still emanate from the grill. Paper plates, smeared with ketchup, mustard and remains of burgers and hot dogs, litter the tables.

One of the grands is sitting on her aunt’s lap. The grand just turned 14 and is a good three inches taller than her aunt. She is in an uncomfortable looking plank position with her long, lanky legs ...Read more

Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt like your face was rounder than usual? You might be experiencing what’s known as “moon face” or “cortisol face” — a condition where the face appears swollen and puffy. This health concern has been popping up on TikTok, where users are sharing their experiences and seeking answers.

Moon ...Read more

A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging identified three common nutrients that could potentially slow down the aging process.

The research, which analyzed data from nearly 4,000 postmenopausal women with an average age of 63, used advanced “epigenetic clock” technology to measure biological age and its ...Read more

When the Barracudas baseball team found itself in need of several players, 6-year-old Oscar Stuebe was happy to fill in as a teammate with his 7-year-old brother, Connor.

The Stuebe brothers also played together on The Yankees, another team in Palm Beach County, Florida. During a recent Yankees game, they had pulled off a fun feat. Oscar caught...Read more

This column is the latest in a series on parenting children in the final years of high school, "Emptying the Nest."

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After weeks of preparing myself for the emotions of "the last first day," the start of my youngest child's senior year was distinctly anticlimactic.

I did make her a hot breakfast, over which she received my bittersweet ...Read more