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Dear very cool woman, July has always been filled with birthday celebrations for our Whalen family and so it seems natural to consider the topic of birthdays this month—specifically the decade changers. It doesn’t matter if you feel anxious or excited about stepping into a new decade, it’s significant to leave the one you’ve known for—well, a […]

Dear wonderful woman, For a gazillion years, the question has been asked of artists and writers: “How do you get these creative ideas?†While I’m sure stacks of research exist regarding this topic, my own opinion is that the good stuff comes to us from God—or as I often say, the Divine. We each have

As we begin Father’s Day weekend, I’d like to share a paper I wrote during my servant-leadership master’s program. This particular class was called “The Spirituality of Work†and since the paper features one of my brothers, Ralph Whalen, I’m especially happy to share it. Eleven years ago, Ralph and his wife Joyce worked at Taipei American School

Dear cool woman, As the third Sunday in June approaches, our thoughts turn to the man who started it all: the father. Some regard their dad as a hero and look forward to celebrating Father’s Day, but sadly, for others, not so much. Dads are important to us, yet there’s a cacophony of feelings surrounding

Dear amazing woman, It’s fun to find a good people-watching place. Our outdoor table in Vegas provided the perfect venue to observe a colorful parade of characters. I couldn’t help wondering about them. What was their story? Maybe that’s why I love to share the stories of the women in my corner of the world. Today’s guest author is no

Dear Beauty, I guess I must not an introvert because I can’t stop talking about the book: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Is this a good book or what? She’s done tons of research before publishing this book, but not just the ordinary research. She’s actually

Hello Sunshine! While sorting files from the past twenty-five years, and throwing out what I can live without, I found a scrap of an old newspaper. I’d saved it because it contained an old old Dear Abby column telling her readers how to be popular—written fifty-eight years ago. Her advice includes: Be kind Be honest Be

Dear strong woman, The saying begins, “Behind every successful man…†and the next words are always, “IS A WOMAN.†The endings vary, yet it’s clear that women hold a vital role in our world. This is especially true about military wives. The impact of the military has been on my mind because next week, we’re going

Dear Beauty, Mother’s Day burns with emotion. Everyone (especially card and flower companies) wants us to remember our moms, yet often they don’t make cards to express the soul’s voice. Mother’s Day can be a difficult day if you desperately want a child but can’t have one, or you’ve just lost your mom, or your mom