Love has been a complicated presence in my life from the very beginning. My parents had been trying, unsuccessfully, to have a baby for many years. My mother was finally able to get pregnant through a procedure of collecting and injecting my father’s sperm into her womb (a procedure that was “experimental” seventy-plus years ago)....Continue reading
My wife, Carlin, and I were enjoying a wonderful dinner at the new vegan Caribbean restaurant in Willits when a friend and his wife saw us eating outside. “How’s the food here?” Henry wanted to know. “It’s great,” we told them. “It’s real, authentic, handmade, and delicious.” As we chatted they introduced us to Henry’s...Continue reading
It can be difficult to find the right words to say to someone who is clearly struggling. As a result, many well-meaning people say the wrong thing to their loved ones who are battling depression. The important thing to note is that depression is a serious mental illness that could be life-threatening. Try to choose...Continue reading
We were planning to celebrate my 13th birthday with a dinner at my special restaurant, The Pump Room, which served my favorite dessert, a strawberry short-cake with homemade whipped cream. But the celebration was interrupted with a phone call from my uncle, Harry. “Edith, Muni escaped from Camarillo today,” uncle Harry told her. I could hear his anxiety...Continue reading
Men are well-known for not looking after themselves and their health. While women will typically go to the doctor when they notice signs that something might be wrong, many men are capable of putting things off for years with the result that minor health problems often turn into something much more serious and potentially life-threatening...Continue reading
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley was a delight. It seemed that summertime lasted forever and our little home in Sherman Oaks was the center of a wonderful universe from which I began to explore. The front yard was big and it was lined by trees, which I soon began climbing. I was a...Continue reading
You know the saying: Good things come in small packages. Like jewelry. Ah, but good things also come in large packages. Like time-off from work. But breaks from work don’t always need to be big to be good. Small ones do just fine, really. A Break in Plans Do you worry that if you take...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My husband is a smart guy, but pays zero attention to his health. I resent that the responsibility has fallen to me, but I don’t have much of a choice. What can I do to help him—and to keep my son from becoming just like his dad? A: Your husband is far...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My wife is due any day and until a week or so ago, everything was going incredibly smoothly. She and I took classes and we both read your book, “The Expectant Father” (which she liked better than most of the pregnancy books written for women). The pregnancy has been uneventful and the...Continue reading
He first saw me for a vasectomy when he was in his mid 30’s. Nervous as all get out, he braved the visit, did splendidly, and was a better man for it. This experience changed him, because from then on, he felt that doctors were “OK” and could be trusted. His first real “date” with...Continue reading