Our house is a very fine house. When we moved into our split, it was a compromise of sorts. The house - around 50 years old - was not new, yet not really old. Instead, it was... — Updated 3/15/2023

I recently stumbled into a conversation about faith, my palms sweaty, my heart pounding. We were about to break the unspoken rule of dinner gatherings: no discussion about politics... — Updated 3/8/2023

If you are a local music fan of a certain age, then you are aware of the recent passing of WXRT DJ Lin Brehmer. Sadly, Lin died of prostate cancer this past January at the age of 68... — Updated 3/1/2023

When songwriters Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz penned the country song “When You Say Nothing At All,” they didn’t mean keep your mouth shut when your loved one does... — Updated 2/1/2023

I'm sitting at my laptop wondering how Pam does it. How does she compose a column, every single week, and one that's a lot longer than the 450 words I need to write. I don't mean... — Updated 1/18/2023

I have never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions. The way I figure it, if you want to partake in self-improvement activities, why wait until Jan. 1? The date is utterly... — Updated 1/4/2023

I was making dinner a few nights ago when I heard my boys having a serious conversation - or as serious as serious gets for a 4- and 6-year-old. "Hey E," said C, the older one. "Do... — Updated 12/28/2022

The nice thing about winter is that there is nothing to do, and since there is nothing to do, there is no reason to feel guilty about doing nothing. Got that? Now summer is a... — Updated 12/14/2022

Hello. My name is Denise and I have struggled with alcohol all my adult life. And by "struggled" I mean I have never been able to convince myself that the stuff tastes good and is w... — Updated 12/7/2022

David Dragon was 16 years old when he secretly traversed the sewers of the Warsaw Ghetto, defiantly risking capture by the Nazis, to scavenge scraps of food. He brought back... — Updated 11/30/2022

I don't know when it happened, but at some point a veil of unnecessary urgency settled over things. The school drop-off, the grocery store run, paperwork, laundry, meetings, phone c... — Updated 11/16/2022

My youngest son emerged from preschool recently sporting a huge grin. It wasn't an uncommon sight at pickup - he loves his school and is a smiley dude in general - but when he... — Updated 11/2/2022

As a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I loved the start of fall, the weather getting cooler and the leaves changing colors, as well as the spookiness of the season.... — Updated 10/26/2022

One would think that a stint in the Chicago Tribune's fashion section with experts who covered runway shows in New York and Paris would have put me on a path to confident fashion... — Updated 10/19/2022

I have always encouraged my daughters to be independent, strong-willed women. Life is too short to ignore your dreams and squander all that this world has to offer. "Spread your... — Updated 10/5/2022

Several weeks ago, a friend was lamenting summer’s end as we drank margaritas on her deck. We chatted and watched the western sky glow. “Summer’s the best. Every year it’s... — Updated 9/28/2022

I stood in line at the grocery store behind a mother and her two young children. I watched her unload her cart and manage her kids with such serenity and patience that I confess,... — Updated 9/21/2022

I didn't know Craig Kruse. Craig passed away on Sept. 9 from brain cancer. He was 50 years old, six years younger than me. He left behind a wife and three children, many family memb... — Updated 9/14/2022

Picture a hammock: blue, suspended between two maples. From the end of the hammock protrude two feet. They are well-tanned and have not seen a shoe in days. Sunlight glistens... — Updated 8/31/2022

When my oldest child Brian was a baby, I befriended a Hinsdale woman of my mother's generation named Rose. She gave me loads of practical advice about baby care and even babysat... — Updated 8/17/2022

“Why are you being so weird?” my son asked me as we drove to the DMV to get his driver’s license. “I feel like it’s my last chance to teach you,” I said, as I hurriedly... — Updated 8/10/2022

Life is best lived with the confidence of a 6-year-old in a princess costume. Let me explain. My oldest daughter Gabriella has always been one for costumes, crowns and princesses. B... — Updated 8/3/2022

Three years ago, I was looking to attend a college that felt like a step into the real world. I wanted to go to a place far from home. I wanted to meet new people who came from... — Updated 7/20/2022

Sometimes I wonder whether Teri Goudie was a figment of my imagination. Surely, no one individual could embody so much love, energy and life. She was the stuff that tall tales are... — Updated 7/13/2022

Editor’s note: — Bill Lewis first wrote this column in November 2017. “Mary” is really Teri Goudie, who died Friday after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 64. If... — Updated 7/6/2022