“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” — Fred Rogers
I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. My dislike started when I learned about its dark Roman origins. According to historian Noel Lenski, Romans would celebrate the feast of Lupercalia February 13th through 15th by sacrificing goats and dogs and then using the hides of these slain animals to whip women. “Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them,” Lenski says. “They believed this…
Japanese New Year, Oshogatsu, is the most important holiday in Japan. It can be likened to Christmas celebrations when families come together from near and far to usher in the New Year. As a Japanese-American my husband has been ringing in the New Year Japanese style all his life. Oshogatsu is a cherished cultural tradition we practice in our home so that our children can enjoy the rituals passed on from generation to generation. Oshogatsu is seeped in beautiful traditions that symbolize the “new” brought by the New Year. …
December 21st marked winter solstice and the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Winter solstice is the day when the sun reaches its most southerly position in the sky, and today we celebrate the lengthening of days leading to summer solstice. Yesterday we experienced a magnificent astronomical event with the Great Conjunction. “On the evening of December 21st, the separation between Jupiter and Saturn reduces to one-tenth of a degree, one-fifth the width of the full moon. They have not been this close since 1623!” explained Griffith Observatory Planetarium Engineer David Nakamoto.
These astronomical events beautifully set the stage for…
Gift giving during the holidays can be a challenging endeavor especially when you’re on a budget or short on time. We’re down to 4 days until Christmas! For those of us that embrace procrastination as an art form, here are some classic, gift ideas you can easily find at any grocery or drugstore. It’s not the price tag that matters, but the thought and intention behind the gift. Keep it simple and fun this holiday season with these tried and true last minute, east-to-get gifts under $10:
1. Wine
You can never go wrong with wine! I am definitely not…
The month of December opens with great anticipation and excitement as we head straight towards Hanukah, Christmas, and Kwanza. COVID may change the way we shop this year, but it won’t stop the stress and pressure we place on ourselves to create the perfect holiday. Self imposed expectations of what the perfect holiday looks like diminishes the joy and peace offered by the season. Holiday stress is seductive. We don’t realize we are falling into the dark, stress pit until it’s too late. We fool ourselves into thinking we are in control and acting out of love, but instead we…
Jeanette Miura
Jeanette Miura is a writer and independent filmmaker. She lives in Southern California with her husband of 18 years and three children.
