How to Pray When You’re Really Not Feeling It
When I was growing up, nightly prayers were a formal, ritualized affair. I was raised in the grand Catholic tradition of kneeling by the side…
How to Politely Decline Something You Can’t Afford
I spent my 20s trying to keep up with the Joneses. The problem was, I lived in New York City, where the Joneses were basically…
Your Best Friend Is Not Your Therapist
Recently, I found myself in the midst of a major life transition. I’d lost my job and was struggling to decide what to do next.…
Self-Help Books That Live up to the Hype
Allow me to start with a brief list of the self-help/advice books I’ve started and never finished: “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up;” “Wherever You…
4 Realistic Rom-Coms to Soothe Your Skeptical Soul
In the halcyon days of my youth, it was hard to decide which dashing cinema hero I’d rather have as my boyfriend: free-spirited, sensitive artist…
4 Modern-Day Spiritual Mentors
If you grew up within an organized religion, you were probably offered a buffet of spiritual figures to emulate. As a Catholic, I had a…
How to Know When Burning a Bridge Is Okay
A few seasons ago, the high-fashion brand Vetements produced a hoodie I’m still obsessed with. Bold letters on the front declared, “May the bridges I…
The Best Dating Advice I’ve Ever Received
If you’re of a certain age, you’ve probably received a lot of dating advice—either solicited or not: Wait X hours before texting him or her.…
How My Best Friend and I Have Stayed Close for 25 Years
The first time I saw my best friend Sara, her wrist was in a cast covered in signatures. It was 1992, and we were in…
Getting to Know Your New Roommate
I spent a four-year interlude living in Chicago, where I had a cozy, light-filled apartment all to my own. Everything was exactly as I wanted…