During Women’s History Month, the tendency is to celebrate famous women in the arts and politics, often ignoring those less famous women who have made an indelible impression on our lives. This year I’m celebrating Women’s [...]
Pat Taub
“What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.” —George Saunders, acclaimed novelist, in his 2013 Syracuse University commencement address. In a New York Times interview, referring to his commencement address, Saunders confessed that, looking back on his life, he wished he had been kinder. His Buddhist teachings frame [...]
Pat Taub
In my wildest dreams I never imagined my elder years would be spent in a Fascist state where our basic rights are disappearing at lightening speed. Feeling depressed and at a loss for overcoming my despair, I remembered, when feeling out of sorts as a girl, my father would affectionately suggest, “Think positively.” Since I’d [...]
Pat Taub
The cartoonist, Lynda Barry, contends that most adults suffer from “play amnesia.” Living in these dark times, many overlook play as a valuable resource to diffuse stress and lighten one’s mood. For example, when your news feed becomes too much to take in, take a break, and turn to humorous writing, like Dorothy Parker or The New [...]
Pat Taub
It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one’s life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than ‘try to be a little kinder.’ –Aldous Huxley In 2025, kindness is in short supply. The mind-numbing genocide in Gaza is in its 15th month. Trump’s appointments [...]
Pat Taub
It’s been just one week since Trump won the Presidential election, catapulting many into despair, terrified of his campaign pledges to deport millions and roll back human rights, like making abortions illegal nationwide. Upon hearing the election results, a few friends reported they were too depressed to find the energy to leave their homes. [...]
Pat Taub
Being vulnerable is generally defined as speaking and acting in a way that involves a risk where the outcome is unpredictable. For this reason, many take pains to avoid being vulnerable rather than chance receiving disapproval and rejection. This limited perspective overlooks the enormous benefits of being vulnerable. Abigail Thomas, the [...]
Pat Taub
Despair has become my unwelcome visitor. Every time I read about the deteriorating conditions of life in Gaza my stomach churns. Tears come easily. This weekend I took myself to task, realizing I better come up with a strategy ASAP or I will be swallowed up by my despair over Gaza. Suddenly I remembered what worked for me in the past. [...]
Pat Taub
“I’m terrified the escalating war in the Ukraine will become nuclear.” “I’m frightened of the climate my children/grandchildren will inherit.” “It’s so depressing to see abortion rights being chipped away.” These are among the comments I hear from friends, who, like me, worry about the future. We live in scary times. [...]
Pat Taub
Human tensions are running high these days. We’re facing global warming, an escalating war in Ukraine, racial tensions, and economic hardships. While we can’t control how life challenges us, we can control how we respond. If we pause and put the world’s problems on the back burner, we can make room for joy. But how, you must be wondering? [...]
Pat Taub
It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one’s life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than ‘try to be a little kinder.’ –Aldous Huxley Huxley isn’t alone. The Buddhist tradition emphasizes kindness and compassion as central to a meaningful life. [...]
Pat Taub