Parenting Through Grief
by Kelly G. Carmena on
Like most parents, 2020 presented my family with change beyond measure. In early March, just one week before COVID hit the United States and shut the entire world down, my mother unexpectedly left our physical world... Read full article
Is This Our New Normal?
by Joy Holden on
Barry, oh Barry. You arrived late and then left without making much of an impression. And we are grateful! Your tardiness and lack of effort were quite welcome to those of us still suffering from storm shock. Let me just say, on behalf of all the 201... Read full article
Rolling with the Good Times: Navigating Baton Rouge’s Mardi Gras with Kids
by Ellen Mecholsky on
When my husband and I moved to Baton Rouge, we had absolutely no idea about Mardi Gras. I mean, sure, we had heard of “Fat Tuesday” and had the vague sense that beads were involved, but the Louisiana Mardi Gras EXPERIENCE was a complete unknown. That... Read full article
A Bright Future After Darker Times
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You will never meet a nicer girl than Carissa Murray. The 11-year-old is sweet, kind and caring, with an inquisitive mind and an ear for languages and music. She also has faced unique medical challenges throughout her young life. ... Read full article
Filling Hearts with Kindness, Starting with Her Own
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Kindness is the keyword for eight-year-old Tiva Thyssen, and she’s involved in several efforts to spread it. Specifically, since losing her older brother Traeh to suicide in 2019, Tiva works to bring awareness to and prevent bullying and suicide... Read full article
Mommy, I Don’t Quit
by Kelly Carmena on
It’s been almost five years now since I jumped on the fitness train. Six weeks postpartum from a very emotional pregnancy and delivery, I took to walking daily with my newborn daughter in tow.... Read full article
My Life: After Attempting Suicide
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Emma Benoit is ascending. The 19 year old graduated from Dutchtown High School in 2018, but the summer before her senior year was when her life changed forever. ... Read full article
The Remembering: Reflections on My Pregnancy Loss
by Ellen Mecholsky on
It starts the first week of December, the remembering. I had felt her move for the first time in the car driving home from a Thanksgiving trip to Florida, which is why I suspect my anniversary grief stress begins so early. I subsequently gave birth t... Read full article
Road Trip: Hot Springs, Arkansas
by Amy Delaney on
This Thanksgiving, we snuck off to Hot Springs, Arkansas for a little vacation. It was a great chance to spend family time together and get back to nature. Here are a few suggestions for family fun.... Read full article