Another Way for week of February 14, 2020
Crush: How We Play with Language
(Editor’s note: Sixth in a ten-part series on physical, mental, relational, and spiritual health.)
Crush used to be a downer word: “I was crushed when my son’s report card came out.” Perhaps you think of crush as smashing a pop can or stepping on a spider, or what happens to your clothes in a suitcase, or backing into someone else’s car in a parking lot, or the young one-way romance (since Valentine’s Day is here) most of us went through at one time. Well, time to step up your vocabulary!
In the last few years, a whole new meaning for the word “crush” has come into play. This is the 6th of great action verbs we’re exploring for several weeks, as found on my favorite cereal box, “Kashi.”
An online dictionary “The Free Dictionary” gives one current usage as “to succeed at something in a particularly impressive way. Often used in the past tense.” Example: “Wow she really crushed that exam.”
They give these other examples: “Her presentation for the CEO went really well. She totally crushed it!” Or, another: “That band always crushes it, so I’m not surprised their halftime performance was spectacular.”
Urban Dictionary (another online reference) defines the current usage of “crushed” as “Being in great shape, looking good, feeling positive, getting more done and generally being a better person.” Example: “She totally crushes that outfit!” Or maybe “Bryce so crushed that solo.”
I’ll confess I’m probably not young enough or hip enough (is “hip” even in anymore?) to use crush on a regular basis and not inclined to try to sound young by using such. Yet I kind of like the Urban Dictionary definition above: feeling positive, getting stuff done and done well.
Do you still have one of these old behemoths? What should we do with ours? 1978 version.
Language changes. We used to refer to new words or uses as coining a phrase. Now, I see that that phrase itself is mostly used in a sarcastic fashion. The Cambridge Dictionary (again, online, sorry Mom), says that “to coin a phrase” is “something you say before using an expression that has been very popular or used too much.” Like this: “Well, to coin a phrase, she stopped me dead in my tracks.”
Some old words or expressions become archaic and new usages (such as turning nouns into verbs) is part of how we live in the 21st century. We’ll have to wait see whether “She crushed it” to describe a daughter’s role in a musical still works in 20 years. Or, thinking ahead to some early interests and recreation for our grandsons, “He totally crushed that 5k run” or “Wow, he crushed that pass!”
Some changes in language we resist, as we should. It’s good to keep up with changes, to be in the know, to be able to listen and communicate and relate. But we can choose or not choose to adopt new meanings or usages as we wish. Especially the vulgar.
Back to the best meanings of “crush” as positive feelings flowing, and knocking stuff off your to-do list. How will you rise to the task today or this week?
I’m definitely a list person. I’m the kind of woman who puts something on her list just so she gets the satisfaction of crossing it off. I like the old-fashioned paper and pencil (or pen) lists, although since those lists have a way of getting lost and buried, I have been known to take a picture of a list on my phone so that I’ll be sure to have it in the grocery store. I know I know, there are apps and functions on my phone where I can make notes to myself, but I’m a low app person.
Did I just coin a phrase? Nah, probably not.
But set out to enjoy your day. Rain in the forecast or not, set your goals high and you just might find yourself crushing through that list!
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Did I “crush” this column? You tell me! I’m game whether positive or negative.
What’s your favorite “newish” word?
What is a word you could live the rest of your life and never hear again??
Comment here!
Or send stories or comments to me at anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com or Another Way Media, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834.
Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of nine books. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.
Another Way for week of February 7, 2020
Just Go!
(Editor’s note: Fifth in a ten-part series on physical, mental, relational, and spiritual health.)
Our youngest grandson turned one last September and has been perfecting his locomotion skills all along the way. From almost day one, he had watched his older brothers walk and run and tussle and play ball.
Like many babies, he went through a very plump phase when he mostly got to lay around and then sit, enjoying generous helpings of mother’s milk. So he didn’t break any records learning to walk. But never fear, slow and steady gets most little ones there! A healthy infant is born with the urge to go (and I don’t mean here the filling of diapers).
Last fall he began crawling at around one year: I loved seeing him GO and go fast with his army crawl, and finally mastering the true crawl up on his knees.
Then just before Christmas, Edward began standing very well by himself, and launched into a few toddling steps, which inevitably landed him on the floor. Did he give up? Of course not.
At Christmas, towards the end of his five-day visit at both grandparent houses, he showed off his new walking triumphs, looking almost giddy producing great smiles and cheers from us. He seemed to love the attention. But I noticed he did his best walking when people were not cheering him on—donning a face of tremendous focus and putting himself all in with careful balance and forward movement.
Edward–focusing on his walking.
Finally, several weeks later, at his brother’s birthday party, he nails early walking. I observe that he raises up his husky little shoulders—and pushes his elbows out ever so slightly from his sides, which I guess helps him balance. He commences to walk the complete circuit from his living room, through their dining area, into the kitchen, and then back to the living room.
My daughter says she has read that babies and toddlers often do best at developing a new task when they concentrate on one thing at a time: crawling, talking, walking, running. They may not get into much vocabulary as they put great effort into standing up, balancing, going forward. Go Edward!
It is amazing, isn’t it? When you look at animals, many somehow begin walking (maybe falling too) their very first day on earth, longish awkward legs and all.
My husband and I both had fathers who had to learn to walk again. When Stuart’s father was just a young boy and barely started school, he had a debilitating illness. After months in bed, he was able to relearn the steps of walking. And my dad, much later in life, experienced extensive diabetic neuropathy in his legs. It landed him in a wheelchair, with experts at Mayo Clinic saying he would likely never walk again. That was like saying “sic ‘em” to a dog. Through prayer, therapy and faithful exercise at home, Dad was eventually able to walk again with just a cane (or two). My youngest daughter Doreen was mastering walking at the same time and she enjoyed playing on his walker.
This series where we are using action words to inspire us (prompted by my cereal box compels me to take a walk—every day if I can, even if sometimes it is pretty short. My mother started me on this habit and I’m very thankful she did. My sister-in-law also inspires me. Walking is not always an easy thing for her given various physical issues and demands on her time. But she keeps going too.
If you haven’t caught on yet, this week our word is go. As I was writing this early morning, I looked up and noticed the sun spreading beautiful color across the whole sky. I don’t think I need to tell you I quickly left my computer to GO out and enjoy the rising sun. Neither camera nor words do it justice, so just GO if you can and enjoy a glimpse or a walk, even if it to just the nearest window.
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Any stories of your children or grandchildren learning to walk? What do you remember or observe?
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What or who gets you going–compels you to be active?
I’d love to hear from you. Comment here or send to me at anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com or Another Way Media, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834.
Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of nine books. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.
Another Way for week of January 31, 2020
Getting into the Flow
(Editor’s note: Fourth in a ten-part series on physical, mental, relational, and spiritual health. #KashiCereal)
What does the word “flow” bring to mind? Is it a good word? Does it make you think of someone who doesn’t like to cause ruffles and perhaps not stand up for what he or she believes?
Or do you think of a beautiful river or endless ocean where waves flow on and on, carrying you to new adventures?
When you are in traffic or a parking lot, are you patient to go with the flow of traffic, or always in a hurry to get where you are going?
Sister “Pert” flowing up for a layup, circa 1966.
Flow can bring to mind all of these things and more. I picture a couple waltzing effortlessly on a dance floor. A basketball player dribbling in for a layup and she just flows up near the basket and it beautifully goes in. (That would be my sister. Short, but very good.)
But then I pondered: why did the marketing people for my Kashi cereal include Flow in their list of “Go” words as something to aspire to (such as the others we’ve explored so far: rise, play, spark). Was there a meaning I wasn’t currently aware of?
Wikipedia comes to the rescue, from the field of psychology: “Flow, also known as the ‘zone,’ is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.” This flow state is also called being “in the zone.” Or I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “she’s in her element.”
When writing flows, I definitely get in that zone and I know several fiction writers who would identify with that. But again, it doesn’t just have to be a creative enterprise like writing or painting that gets you there. My other sister (not the ball player) used to work in an operating room and was in her element in that setting. A preacher like Martin Luther King Jr. was certainly in his zone in his famous “I have a dream speech.” People describe this kind of flow as total concentration, feeling like you know what you’re doing and happy to be doing it, effortlessness, even an altered perception of time—like time doesn’t matter. A person kneading bread dough might be lost in a flow of rhythmic punches.
For another angle on the word and what thoughts it brings, are you familiar with the beautiful hymn, “My Life Flows On.” Many of us—though longtime Christians—have only learned this hymn in the last 30 or 40 years. It likely wasn’t a hymn of your childhood if you’re my age or thereabouts. The author/composer, Robert Wadsworth Lowry, was a Baptist minister. Even though it was written and first published back in 1869, it was not included in many hymnals for decades. In fact, it only appeared in one hymnal between 1900 and 1966, according to Wikipedia. (Also known by the title “How can I keep from singing,” the song was popularized by folk singer Pete Seeger who changed some of the lyrics in his version so they weren’t specifically Christian.)
But now it is an oft-sung favorite hymn especially at funerals or memorial services where people are looking for comfort and hope. The strong words of the refrain, “No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging” easily draw tears from many of us.
The first verse starts out:
“My life flows on, in endless song,
Above earth’s lamentation.
I catch the sweet, though far off hymn,
That hails a new creation.”
These words are precious as we perhaps lament and grieve the loss of a loved one. We can cling to the solid rock of faith in a loving God. We keep going. Our loved one is no longer experiencing the lamentations we have on earth. And that is a precious promise.
Stained glass windows in Scotland, photo by Doreen Davis
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If you are currently down and not “in the flow,” I hope and pray this lifts your spirits and that you will feel God’s arms wrapped around you in endless love. And if you’re just facing an ordinary day, perhaps you’ll find your flow in something you love to do.
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What is your all time favorite hymn, or maybe the top three?
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Is there a funeral or memorial service song you especially love or relate to?
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You may want to check out the new Mennonite hymnal Voices Together coming later in 2020 from Herald Press.
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For a free booklet, “Losing Someone Close,” comment here, or write to me at anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com or Another Way Media, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834.
Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of nine books. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.
Another Way for week of January 24, 2020
That Creative Spark Within
[Editor’s note: Third in a ten-part series on physical, mental, relational, and spiritual health. #Kashi]
Do you remember arguing or fighting over who got to read which cereal box as a kid? (And kudos to those parents who keep the TV or other screens off during meals or morning routines.)
I was amused and gladdened recently when our visiting grandson, Owen, eagerly grabbed for my cereal box of “Kashi Honey Almond Flax Crunch” (I know, quite a long name). The box on its edge has a large print list of great invigorating words I’m using for this series of columns. Spark is our word this week. Owen is only three, so he cannot read but certainly recognizes letters. I think he was studying this box because of the letters he knew.
One of the most frequent questions I have been asked as a columnist over the years is “Where do you get your ideas of what to write about?” Teachers and writing instructors sometimes give word prompts to start students’ minds churning and perhaps unclog a writer’s block. That list of action words on the cereal box serves as a source of helpful prompts or thought starters. A spark.
In general, anything that stirs my interest or strikes me as an interesting thought or statement, or an incident that happens—whether good or bad—can serve as an idea or prompt for my writing. And yes, staying fresh and finding new ideas is sometimes hard—especially when you’ve been at it at least 50 years (counting my upper high school years when we did a lot of writing).
A former pastor said she liked planning sermon series for her summer messages because pastors, like columnists, sometimes scrounge for topics. Many pastors use the Common Lectionary of scripture passages as a guide to their subjects. Of course, a single scripture or verse can point one in multiple directions for an actual sermon focus, so again, sometimes a structure or series is healthy for the weekly anxiety of “what shall I write (or speak) about this week?” Anything that sparks a direction is a gift.
How does that apply to those who are not pastors or writers? How is your imagination sparked to tackle a new direction?
Grandpa and grandsons, “creatively” putting together a wooden racing car (kit).
My husband is not a writer or pastor (and he would laugh and shake his head at that comment), but he is very creative and likes to make stuff. He does welding, wood working, minor construction, improvising, fixing up jigs or ways to approach something that make the outcome easier. Especially now that he has some mobility issues that make it hard to get up from the floor (as in the garage), he’s frequently inspired to build props or rolling carts or use an old-fashioned fulcrum to lift a heavy item. If he gets stuck trying to solve a given problem or next step, he has to ruminate on it for a while. Eventually sparks fly and an idea is conceived. The point is, sparks of creativity hit us all—or they should—whether we’re trying a new recipe, painting a picture, composing a song, dealing with a child’s problem, or a difficult customer. You get the idea.
A spark is like an epiphany that hits your brain and probably literally lights it up, according to those who study such things. God gave us our brains and the ability to imagine solutions or responses to the dilemmas that face us. I think of Michelangelo’s painting on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in Rome. The painting shows the creator of the universe reaching out to give life to the first human. A spark!
If words are your thing, think of James Weldon Johnson’s memorable and moving poem about creation you may have memorized back in high school, like I did. “And God stepped out on space, and he looked around and said, “I’m lonely, I’ll make me a world.” A spark!
Thanks be to God for the world and life given us, our brains, our creative impulses, and how we can continue to spark new ideas, activity, love, and life.
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What sparks your imagination?
What is your favorite creative activity?
What do you wish you could do?
Have you ever launched out on a new hobby or skill or sport, and how did it go?
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Share here, or send to me at anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com or Another Way Media, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834.
Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of nine books. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.
The author has received no remuneration for this series of columns on “Go” words inspired by the Kashi cereal campaign.
When play imitates work.
Another Way for week of January 17, 2020
Play: Well-rounded People
[Editor’s note: Second of a ten-part series on physical, mental, relational, and spiritual health. #KashiActionVerbs]]
Last week our topic was Rise and this week it’s Play. As adults, we don’t often think of those items in the same breath but of course that is the first thing many children think of when they get up in the morning, as it should be.
Early childhood teacher and Mennonite author Alta Mae Erb wrote long ago, “Play is a child’s work.” I’m sure she got that thought from psychologist Jean Piaget who put it “Play is the work of childhood.” The beloved children’s television program host Fred Rogers added, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning.”
Toys all put away, and then. Someone wakes up.
When our grandchildren are at our house, most of them enjoy getting out toys first thing in the morning even though they had to be cajoled for ten minutes to help put them away the night before. (Well, one who wakes up more slowly, prefers to sprawl in a chair or on Grandma or Grandpa’s lap for a while. Nice.) But overall, for a child, play is the thing to do when you get up, even if you should be getting dressed or ready for school.
Even babies should be played with from Day One. As you engage their eyes to coax the first smile, or conduct a quick game of peekaboo, the child is playing and learning.
Early morning play in pajamas.
A children’s book, When a Boy Wakes Up in the Morning (Alfred Knopf, Inc., 1962) by Faith McNulty, digs into the dilemma for a child. The child knows and remembers that his mother or father reminded him not to wake them up when they want to sleep in. Mother says, “Jamie, do not call me when you wake up. Don’t hammer on your blocks or on the floor. Don’t hammer on your cars or trucks.” But of course, that’s exactly what Jamie wants to do in the morning. He doesn’t disobey his mother, but when he decides to build a tower with his blocks and they fall down making a clattering noisy sound, he can’t help it, can he? His mother comes in, not smiling. But the boy is smiling because now he is no longer lonely. (And as the book 
says, soon she is smiling too.)
As adults, we don’t think of play as part of our work but indeed it should be a priority in our lives. How do we play? By doing things we don’t have to do, but enjoy doing. Sometimes we have to push ourselves to play: to pick up a book just for fun, take a quick walk, join a friend for lunch. Are these things play? Yes. If we’re heading to a gym or basement for some exercise, we need to tell ourselves it’s not a workout, it’s a playdate.
Attend a concert, walk the dog, go for a swim, stroll through a museum—anything you truly
enjoy doing. Watch TV? Well, maybe that’s play, but we probably need to be encouraged to go beyond looking at a smart phone or resorting to “entertainment” that doesn’t make us do anything but sit there.
Play is art, books, movies, music, comedy, flirting and daydreaming, writes Dr. Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play. What, there’s an institute for play? I guess some of us need to be taught that a game of cards, arranging flowers, fiddling with photography—or a fiddle—all of these constitute play for adults. Play can be taking a nap, listening to a podcast, even trying a new recipe.
Admittedly, when you are working full time, raising a family, engaged in church or other civic activities—play has low priority. But, the secret is mindset: have your brain and life open to finding just minutes of fun or diversion as you can grab them. You can boost your spirit from drudgery to dancing—in the head or heart. And recharge your spirit!
So, we rise. We need to play. Next week we’ll take on the word “spark.” I hope these explorations of how to have better physical and mental health will challenge and encourage you.
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As an adult, what is your fav form of play? What did you love to do as a child?
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How do you make play or recreation a priority (find time for it) in your life now?
Comments here or write to me at anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com or Another Way Media, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834.
Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of nine books. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.
Another Way for week of January 10, 2020
The Blessing of Rising to a New Day
[
First of a ten-part series on physical, mental, relational, and spiritual health. #KashiActionVerbs]
I have just gotten up on the first morning of a new year. As I write, it is January 1, 2020,* approximately 7 a.m. (I write and send out columns about a week in advance of calendar dates, and newspapers may use them whenever it suits.)
Seven a.m. is “sleeping in” for me, which is a new luxury after retiring last spring. My husband and I rarely sleep past 7:30 and it is not unusual for me to still rise around 5 or 5:30 to get some writing done before the rest of the day launches into chores, exercise, errands, naps, making meals. We are both still ecstatic NOT to be blared into wakefulness by a 3 a.m. alarm, which was our life for at least seven to eight years before my husband retired several years before me.
I have already eaten my breakfast and am sipping decaf coffee; breakfast is typically a crunchy bowl of Kashi cereal, topped with sliced almonds for extra nutty flavor and nutrition. The recently updated Kashi cereal boxes caught my eye with a list of marvelous action words that I’ll use for themes for Another Way for the next ten weeks. These are: Rise, Play, Spark, Flow, Crush, Defy, Love, Wander, Shine, and Go. Go is the biggest word in the graphic design of their list. I hope to probe what these powerful words can mean for our lives. Of course the “Go” here with this fiber-filled cereal can definitely help to keep you “regular” if you get my drift. (Sorry if that is too much information.)
At this age, getting up in the morning is a blessing in itself. In our teen years, we may not appreciate the gift of waking up. I remember sleeping until noon after a slumber party; or talking into the wee hours of the morning with a date about so many delicious things which kept us from saying goodnight or goodbye. And then sleeping in Saturday morning.
Especially in our working years, the morning bell comes all too soon and we long to snooze just another five or ten minutes. So I count it a profound privilege to have reached my retirement years and welcome the opportunity to sleep in a bit. But I still love the early morning hours for quiet thinking, reading, and yes—writing.
Poet and prolific author Maya Angelou added new depth and beauty to the power of the word “rise” with her popular poem, “Still I Rise,” about overcoming injustice and prejudice, especially in light of black history and issues that still confront us today. Angelou is said to have loved writing in the mornings. I’m happy for the clarity of thought that often comes with the break of day, when you see things in a new light. I often feel empowered and energized with new thoughts in the morning—that sometimes need correction or tweaking later in the day. I know others who feel that way about the evening or nighttime—that their best creativity or imagination is sparked by the evening hours. It takes all types to make the world go around, right?
The word “rise” also makes me recall the baptismal ritual in the church of my youth. In my church we kneeled on the floor and were baptized as the pastor poured a small amount of water on our heads. I can still hear our pastor intoning after each baptism, “I give you my hand, arise. As Christ was raised from the dead, so now you shall also rise to walk in newness of life.”
Perhaps that’s another way to think of the blessing we have to rise to another day. We are alive! We have another day to do the best we can, to help others, to be kind, to accomplish the tasks that we set out to do.
So rise! And now I must see to my other tasks, including making my bed and morning exercise. Thank you, Lord, to see a new day.
* A reader reminded me that the current decade doesn’t officially end until December 31, 2020–and the next decade begins January 1, 2021.
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What is your best or favorite time of day? I’d love to hear!
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What gets you going in the morning?
Comments or questions? Post here or write to me at anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com or Another Way Media, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834.
Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of nine books. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.
Another Way for week of January 3, 2020
When the Kids Grow Up (Redux)
I took a breather from column writing as we enjoyed a “late Christmas” with our family, and resurrected and updated this column from 1990, thirty years ago, dreaming of when our kids would be grown up. I’ve included my 2020 updates in italics.]
We all know that childhood is characterized by frequent sighs of “When I grow up,” heard with increasing anxiety and independence as kids get older. Now I realize that parents have frequent sighs of their own, mostly starting with “When the kids grow up.”
I was trying to find the front of my refrigerator the other day when I decided that when my kids are grown up, the front of my refrigerator will be so clean I’ll be able to see myself on it and furthermore I won’t keep a single drawing or memo there and I won’t even own any refrigerator magnets! [Ha! My refrigerator door is still full of pics of the grandkids, their drawings, and yes, plenty of magnets.]
When my kids are grown up I’ll go to the mall without making three different emergency trips to the bathroom. [Who goes to the mall?]
When the kids are grown you won’t see shoes permanently planted in my living room. [Oops, wrong again.]
I’ll drive right by McDonald’s and eat something nice and Chinese. [Now it’s senior decaf coffee, to go.]
I’ll go to the doctor’s office and read grown up magazines instead of yet another repeat of The Cat in the Hat. [Um, usually read my smart phone now.]
I’ll walk by the most dreaded place in the grocery store and not even buy any gum or mints. [Wrong again.]
I’ll sit down to breakfast without people fighting over who gets to read which cereal box. [Blast from the past.]
I’ll go to the mall without going to the toy store. [Not many toy stores anymore, with the advent of Amazon and online shopping.]
I’ll take a nice hot bath without removing 42 bath tub toys first. [This one is true. Still a few toys there for when the grandkids visit.]
I’ll leave on a business trip without worrying that the school will call and say one of the kids is sick. [I do not miss this!]
I’ll wake up on a Saturday morning and bake bread, sew a skirt, or take a hike in the woods at my whim just like I did when I was younger instead of yelling for the 99th time, “Do you have your rooms cleaned up yet?” [I made them clean their rooms?]
When the kids grow up my husband will be able to finish a complete sentence, maybe even a whole conversation with me without interruption. We’ll go out to eat and get by for a small sum instead of a ransom. [My husband would say now I interrupt him. And yes we can eat out much cheaper sharing the smallest size of fries and buying senior drinks.]
I’ll sit through a worship service without shushing anybody or passing out pencils, gum, or offering money. [Update: the three to seven-year-old’s at our church now go upstairs for their own lesson during the sermon and I frequently help with that.]
I’ll suffer occasional pangs of nostalgia for all of the above, but altogether miss these things about as much as I now miss changing diapers in the middle of the night. [I do not miss diapers, but ponder our own eventual need for them, most likely. Sigh!]
Of course, I thought growing up to be a wife and mother and have a career would be indefinitely better than having to study and be bossed around and live on an allowance. [Enjoying being a wife and grandmother now that I’m mostly retired.]
…..
I now (2020) realize empty refrigerator doors look kind of lonely and where would I keep all our doctor appointment cards anyway without all those magnets? Happy New Year!
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If you’re a younger parent, what are the things you look forward to as your children grow? If you’re older, what do you miss or not miss? Share here!
If you are at the stage of your children soon leaving home, you might benefit from this beautiful book by Brenda Yoder, Fledge: Launching Your Kids Without Losing Your Mind.
Or send your comments to: anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com or Another Way Media, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834.
Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of nine books. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.
