Pretending I'm Retired

  Shhh, hear that whirring sound? It’s not the cicadas…it’s the sound of the spinning blades of helicopter parents as we begin to worry about our babies graduating from college: How will they find those perfect first jobs during a pandemic? It’s going to be okay, I promise. My son is graduating from college, and he just landed his first job. After four years of studying, he will collect his business degree, move back home, and caddy at a local golf course. I could not be prouder. It’s spring—graduation season—the time when stories circulate of those college graduates landing great jobs with big salaries. Making 70K as an accountant for a Fortune 500 company is a sweet deal if you are passionate about crunching numbers. But what about new graduates who aren’t yet sure what they want to do? For many, the best way to pair skills and interests with a career isn’t as clear cut. How important is that first job after graduation? It’s important, but maybe not for the reasons you thin...

I'm skipping around the house singing right now, "My mom is coming over! It's time for a closet assessment!" There are two types of people in this world: those who think cleaning out closets is a chore, and those who consider this project one of life's most satisfying events. Mom and I are in the latter camp. We’ve developed an unconventional tradition of Mother-Daughter bonding time reviewing my clothing collection. This spring, Mom’s visit has special significance. Now fully vaccinated, she is coming over for the first time in over a year.  What are some traditions you’ve missed? Many of us felt a deep social loss when the pandemic caused stress on our relationships. As restrictions begin to lift, we are nostalgic for familiar routines. “When it comes to rethinking traditions,” says Todd B. Kashdan, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, “we have a bias to stick with the status quo.” Some traditions are born out of necessity. I live in an old...